What happened to Sammy Sosa? Why Cubs legend spent 20 years away from Chicago

Sammy Sosa will be back at Wrigley Field on Friday.

Multiple reports indicate that Sosa's long absence from the home stadium where he became a Chicago Cubs legend is over. 

Sosa last stepped foot into Wrigley in 2004.

Now, he will likely get a hero's welcome upon his long awaited return home.

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What happened to Sammy Sosa with the Cubs?

Sosa's last day at Wrigley Field was for the Cubs' last game of the 2024 season. 

He pulled himself from the game in the first inning, and he hasn't been back since.

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts publicly asked for an apology from Sosa in ensuing years for his usage of performance-enhancing drugs, but Sosa has denied that, according to the Chicago Tribune.

So the man who once hit 66 homers in a magical Cubs season in 1998 simply hasn't returned to what had, for a time, seemed his adopted home.

The reunion began this winter, when Sosa went to Cubs Convention and spoke with fans.

He also joined the Cubs for a short time at spring training, and he'll be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame this year.

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Sammy Sosa stats

Sammy Sosa slugged 609 home runs in his 18-year MLB career spent with the Cubs, White Sox, Rangers and Orioles.

Of those, 545 homers were hit in a Cubs uniform.

With the Cubs, Sosa had seasons of 66, 64, 63 and 50 home runs. He also had seasons of 160, 158, 141 and 138 RBI.

Sosa's career OPS finished at .878 (it was .928 with the Cubs).

In every way, he's a legend, and now he finally gets his Wrigley Field reunion with the Cubs.

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