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Cubs beginning pitcher Justin Steele left his Opening Day begin early on Thursday after fielding a bunt and falling as he flipped the ball to first base. He gave the impression to be holding his left hamstring as he walked off the sphere, per Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. The crew later confirmed to reporters (together with Sharma) that Steele exited the sport with left hamstring tightness.
After the sport, a 4-3 loss to the Rangers in further innings, Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell used the phrase “pressure” to explain Steele’s damage (per Sharma). He added that the All-Star left-hander will doubtless go on the injured record, however as Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune notes, the skipper wouldn’t speculate about how a lot time Steele may miss. The southpaw will bear an MRI on Friday (per Montemurro), after which the crew will doubtless have a greater thought concerning the severity of his damage and the way lengthy he may spend on the IL.
Counsell instructed reporters, together with Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, that the crew doesn’t but have a plan for who will take Steele’s spot within the rotation. Left-hander Drew Smyly and right-hander Hayden Wesneski appear to be the most certainly candidates, given their presence on the 40-man roster and up to date expertise pitching out of the large league rotation. Smyly, 34, made 23 begins for the Cubs final yr, whereas Wesneski, 26, made 11. Nonetheless, Smyly discovered success in a bullpen function down the stretch in 2023; he made some begins this spring however was largely getting ready to start out the season as a reliever. In the meantime, Wesneski struggled tremendously as a starter final yr (5.51 ERA, 6.26 FIP) and seemed even worse in six outings (4 begins) this spring.
Ben Brown, 24, is yet one more identify on the 40-man roster to keep watch over. He transitioned to a bullpen function final season, however he has current beginning expertise and seemed sharper than both Smyly or Wesneski this spring. What’s extra, his transfer to the bullpen could have merely been a strategy to speed up his path to the most important leagues, not a everlasting change. He was fairly good in 19 minor league begins final season, pitching to a 3.81 ERA and racking up 120 strikeouts in solely 85 innings pitched. Nonetheless, his lack of expertise may go in opposition to him; Brown has but to make his MLB debut.
Whether or not it’s Smyly, Wesneski, Brown, or one other arm completely, the Cubs have a troublesome resolution to make earlier than what would have been Steele’s subsequent flip within the rotation: the ultimate sport of the house opener collection in opposition to the Rockies on Wednesday, April 3.
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