Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga sustained what the staff described as a left hamstring pressure throughout Sunday’s begin in opposition to the Brewers. With one out within the sixth inning, Imanaga picked up the harm whereas protecting first base throughout a fielder’s alternative from Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich. Imanaga was instantly favoring his hamstring even earlier than the play was accomplished, and was faraway from the sport after consulting with staff trainers.
Extra imaging and checks have to happen earlier than the Cubs determine whether or not or not Imanaga will head to the 15-day injured checklist, 670 The Rating’s Bruce Levine writes. Chicago has an off-day this coming Thursday, so conceivably, the staff may skip Imanaga’s subsequent flip within the rotation to provide him a while to get better with out placing him on the IL and shedding him for at the very least 15 days.
That mentioned, the truth that the harm has already been described as a pressure actually makes it appear to be a 15-day IL stint is probably the most possible consequence. With Imanaga probably out of motion and Justin Steele already gone for the season as a consequence of UCL surgical procedure, Chicago is now down its high two projected starters.
Signed to a four-year, $53M contract through the 2023-24 offseason, Imanaga’s transfer from Nippon Skilled Baseball to the majors went very easily, as he delivered a 2.91 ERA over 173 1/3 innings in his first massive league season. The lefty was off to a different good begin in his sophomore season, as counting Sunday’s outing, Imanaga has a 2.82 ERA in 44 2/3 innings. That high quality ERA does mark some troubling secondary numbers, nonetheless, as Imanaga’s 18.9% strikeout price is properly under common, and he has allowed a variety of exhausting contact.
These metrics however, Imanaga was nonetheless delivering good bottom-line outcomes and serving to the Cubs rise to first place within the NL Central. Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd have additionally pitched properly, Colin Rea has carried out properly since being inserted into Steele’s rotation spot, and Ben Brown has been inconsistent however serviceable in protecting innings.
Assuming Imanaga will certainly go on the IL, Chris Flexen may be the likeliest alternative, as he was already working as a starter at Triple-A earlier than Chicago chosen his contract to the large league roster earlier this week. Flexen has up to now made one look with the Cubs (a three-inning reduction outing in Friday’s 10-0 win over Milwaukee), and could possibly be pretty simply stretched out once more for a beginning gig in Imanaga’s place.
If not Flexen, the Cubs may name Jordan Wicks up from Triple-A, or maybe give star prospect Cade Horton his first style of Main League motion. Javier Assad gained’t be an choice for maybe a number of months, as Assad not too long ago suffered a Grade 2 indirect pressure whereas pitching on a rehab project for an earlier indirect pressure suffered in spring coaching.
