Cubs southpaw Cole Hamels exited his start Friday with a left oblique strain, manager Joe Maddon told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com and other reporters. The severity of the injury won’t be known until Hamels undergoes an MRI, but he will go on the injured list, according to Maddon.
Oblique issues often lead to weeks-long absences, which is one of the last thing the Cubs need in this instance. The Cubs are already without their top starter, Kyle Hendricks, who hasn’t pitched since June 14 because of shoulder inflammation and may not return until after the All-Star break. Beyond that, Chicago’s rotation hasn’t gotten great performances from the established trio of Jon Lester, Jose Quintana and Yu Darvish.
With their starters not firing on all cylinders this year, the Cubs are sitting a somewhat disappointing 44-38, though they do hold a half-game lead over the second-place Brewers in the NL Central. The Cubs lost for the 11th time in 18 games Friday, when Hamels lasted a mere one inning against the Reds. The 35-year-old was amid yet another quality season before suffering his oblique strain, as evidenced by a 2.98 ERA/3.56 FIP with 8.76 K/9, 3.16 BB/9 and a 51.1 percent groundball rate in 99 2/3 innings.
Hamels’ injury could certainly affect the Cubs’ plans leading up to the July 31 trade deadline. For now, though, they’ll have to make do with in-house arms after Lester, Quintana and Darvish. Tyler Chatwood and prospect Adbert Alzolay have each started games of late, though neither righty has soaked up many innings in those showings. The Cubs also have experienced lefty swingman Mike Montgomery, who replaced Hamels on Friday, but he has posted surprisingly subpar numbers this year and hasn’t thrown more than 2 1/3 innings in a game since May 9. Otherwise, the Cubs may have to dip into the minors if they want to find a Hamels replacement from within.
Man, pitchers are dropping like flies.
nooooooo!
Hendricks abc Hamels were the only dependable starters they had. This really sucks.
All those blown chances the Cubs had this year is really going to haunt them now
It’s not good, but not the worst. Bullpen is thinner. Honestly, the cubs have a couple rotation options right now. Monty, Adbert, chatwood. They could bring some up from the farm as well. Still would love to see them DFA descalso. Guy is a bum. They are running out of options at 2B. They must like Bote in the super utility role. They could bring up happers and hope he catches fire. Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Russell has been a black hole as well. Cubs will be keeping an eye on starters though depending on severity of injury to Cole.
Good gravy, Johnny Superscout give it a rest. No one asked you
lol!!!
Happers ha There’s a reason they’d rather sign a Bum like Cargo than bring him up
Johnny Superscout wasn’t off the mark with his assessment. Lots of truth there. This site is all about opinions, kid. Nobody has to ask anyone for permission for an opinion. It’s a shame you received more than zero upvotes.
Doesn’t matter. Whichever team wins that division stands no chance of even making past the 1st round of the playoffs anyway. No team in the National League will be capable of knocking off the Dodgers or the Braves in a playoff series. If you can’t win a playoff series you might as well chop your teams pending free agents off in a trade for prospects and play the rest of the season in hopes of getting the highest draft pick possible. That way they will be better next year when they MAY actually stand a somewhat existent chance of making a deep playoff run.
I literally had to create an account to make sure you realized how dumb you sound in your idiotic rant.
“No team in the National League will be capable of knocking off the Dodgers or the Braves in a playoff series.”
So what happens if the Braves & Dodgers play each other in the playoffs, let’s say the NLCS? Wouldn’t one of those teams have to win that series, thus proving that an NL team could knock off the Braves or Dodgers in a playoff series?
Mind blown!!
Did you really make an account just to point out one of the Braves or Dodgers has to lose at some point to each other when you know full well what he’s saying is no one from the central or WC spots is going to take either of them out?
You must not have a lot going on in life
I don’t even necessarily agree with his comments. But you look like the bigger idiot by a mile as an unbiased party viewing his post and your reply.
Agreed. One of the dumbest comments ever. TB Lightning had a record setting year and lost in the first round of NHL playoffs. Warriors were a lock to blow the doors off Toronto. Lost in 6. MLB playoffs are as much if not more of a crap shoot than those sports. To say no one can beat the Dodgers or the Braves (!!) is absolute lunacy. Neither of those teams is by any means bulletproof. Not to say either one can’t win it all but spare us the super team talk.
This sek guy is a troll account posting the same Dodgers Braves thing on most every thread.
I too created an account with a redictilous password to reply to this comment.. I just got to know who left the Idiot bag open… (not being rhetorical) you can’t be serious? did you type this post with a straight face? I mean, i had to read it several times just to be sure there wasn’t a “lol” or “lmao” after that sentence…. you forget, when we were healthy we almost swept the dodgers… Frankly my friend you clearly have ignored all the evidence. we play in what is CLEARLY THE TOUGHEST DIVISION IN BASEBALL.. if the Dodgers or Braves played in our division, they both would have at least 15 fewer wins. We pay these teams 18 times each. unlike the hack Yanks, Twins and Astros a who get half their schedule against teams that would struggle in any double A division. I think it’s clear we can compete and win. the question isn’t whether we can beat these teams, we were edged by the Dodgers by one gme in 7. with broken pitching and a hurt lineup., and are not done with the braves yet, but who caught us with our pants down opening week to there credit. You can bet we will be ready for them in October. especially if we are firing on all cylinders. Madden has always managed for stronger second half results. Clearly with Zobrist out, we feel the void. but one thing is perfectly clear, we get our band back together, there isn’t anyone we can’t beat in 7 games… or 5 for that matter… especially the overrated freak’n Dodgers. Now to get to the part that blew my mind. your suggestion that we should wholesale our team for draft picks and move on to get em next year… my friend… Chicago Cubs haven’t even got hot yet as our division has kept us off balance. when they find there center… look out because they’re will be lots of tears in Atlanta and LA.. One thing is for sure, I certainly wouldn’t ask my club to go against its greatest montra… “WE NEVER QUIT” … I hope you get to eat them words stitched to a LA ball cap… Ill pass the salt.
For God’s sakes you get to play the Reds and the Pirates. Outside of the Cards, the Braves have played every team in that division including your Cubs and Brewers. They ran through each of them like they all had their pants down. The division isn’t that great. Just because their are no teams like the Baltimore Orioles in the division that doesn’t make all the other teams actually good. I still haven’t seen anyone pick the field.
Who exactly do the Braves play? Also, enjoy 1995 as you haven’t been relevant in this century.
Cubs can’t win on the road. They likely will be incapable of producing hits come October also, as there bats constantly disappear, especially with runners in scoring position. Russell needs to go, descalso can join cargo on his way out. Cubs need zobrist back. Mentions of happ on these comments must come from individuals not looking at how poorly he is playing. Lester is showing his age, and with injury concerns between hamels and Hendricks you have to fear an already thin bullpen will be put through the ringer. None of this bodes well for a successful October. Cubs are super talented but they just lack in timely hitting, a quality bullpen, and health seems to be an issue that will linger.
The funny thing is that Zobrist coming back is the last thing the Cubs want. They can’t afford him. They already spent all his cash for the next few years on Kimbrel. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that someone in the Cubs organization paid some gigalo to seduce Zobrists wife and then told him about it so he would get a divorce and walk away from his contract. It sounds bad and its likely untrue but man… That seemed to work out extremely coincidentally well for them at the time. They are so short on money that they openly state they are broke and then a fully healthy (likely overpaid) $14 million a year player just walks away from his contract. The Cubs are a wealthy organization and with wealth comes power. Not to mention the fact that Theo Epstein is very advantageous and will do whatever it takes. Like I said, it’s unlikely but I wouldn’t be completely blindsided with shock if a couple decades from now a story like this came out.
They need to trade for a starter now.
Go get Nova.
Give us Bote and another prospect.
Problem is he can’t pitch against the Cubs if he’s playing for them, so there goes his value.
Nova completely blows. I wouldn’t take him for free
Are you serious? Teams wouldn’t even take him for free, nevermind a player as good as Bote.
No, actually, they don’t.
Plants need carbon dioxide, or they die. The Cubs could perfectly well call up Colin Rea or Alec Mills.
Not ideal, but there you go.
Are we slipping science lessons discretely into comments? If so, I like. Cubs have built the depth up. It’s not sexy but like the bowerbirds mating ritual, they will do their best to impress by decorating those depth pieces in cubbies blue.
Karma for hitting Arenado on purpose.
You’re an idiot if you believe in karma
You’re an idiot if you believe I care what you think of my beliefs.
You’re both idiots. And hiflew, so based on your logic, Colorado’s bullpen sucks because karma is punishing them for hitting Bryant in the face last year and plunking him and Russo this year? I gotcha. Cool logic, bro.
I probably shouldn’t waste my time debunking your argument since it is so flimsy, but I’m bored so here goes.
1) Hamels clearly hit Arenado on purpose.
2) The Colorado bullpen is more than one guy, so the analogy is flawed there
3) The Bryant HBP was clearly not on purpose. Even Maddon admitted that one.
4) The man’s name is Rizzo, not Russo.
5) When you lead the league in HBP every year based on not getting out of the way, like Rizzo, you clearly lose the right to argue that you get hit on purpose.
6) If you knew anything about karmic belief, you’d know that accidents are not subject to karmic retribution.
7) I’m not your bro and you really demean your intelligence by using that term.
8) At least you spelled you’re correctly, so you have that going for you. Although you may have ruined that by using the word “gotcha.” Either go formal grammar or go slang, not both.
9) I’m done now, enjoy the rest of your night.
Sorry moron, my phone used autocorrect. So basically what I got out of your argument was, “oh man he called me out and I have no argument, because I’m a whiny b****. I’m going to write a big long post and try and make myself look better”.
Cool response, bro.
Haha, it was too long, I got bored and stopped reading it.
I’m not reading all that, downvote.
A nine point post that does nothing but prove you don’t understand the concept of karma… impressive for all the wrong reasons…
So you wish an injury on someone for a little booboo by your favorite player?
Do you really believe karma is wish-based? Buddha is not a genie. Maybe pick up a book and learn something about another culture.
You do realize karma has nothing to do with consequences in this life? It is not some magical force that brings misfortune to those who do immoral things. Perhaps you are the one who needs to read a book my friend
Do you realize that Buddha doesn’t hit people with pitches as karma?? Like, that’s not what that religion is about…
What book says karma has nothing to do with consequences?
the consequences of Karma are reciprocal as opposed to punitive anyway. Hamels getting a serious injury for giving Arenado a bruise is way out of proportion, so to imply karma in this case is laughably naive to borderline offensive to actual Buddhists
In the cosmic scheme of things, a hit-by-pitch doesn’t count for much…
Arenado was in the the only ballpark that makes him a great player. The same one Wade Davis and other pitchers struggle in. Never mind, stay ignorant Flu.
CarGo, he gone
Yep, He has been DFA. He looked finished, it was worth a shot but did not work out and probably going to be it fo him. Good career and I wish him the best.
Man at this point the Long Island Ducks could join that division and win it
Hey, that bag the division was in has a hole in it!
I came here to read pessimistic Cubs fans’ doom posts and “this division is now a crapshoot” comments
Buddha is a statue
Only morons worship those
Well, I guess it’s time to see if Colin Rea can do anything. He’s 9-2 with a 3.27 era in triple a. They also have De la Cruz in double a already on the 40 man. He’s got a 3.38 era this year.
Rea has out pitched his FIP by almost 2 full runs. De La Cruz’s numbers are skewed because of 15 innings in High-A ball. He has a 4.04 ERA (4.36 FIP) in AA. Neither of those options look particularly good.
When will people accept the AAAA success of career journeymen does not translate to the big league level?
Buncha internet nerds fighting in here.
This will go Alzolay a spot for awhile. Hendricks close to being back. Decision is Rea or Chatwood/Monty.
Maybe Chatwood/Happ/farm piece for Grienke. But his $$$ would put us over the threshold.
Don’t think we have prospect capitol to get Boyd or Stroman. Maybe Sanchez.
Sanchez is a note-worthy major league starting pitcher, and will soon do wonders for an organization. Presently, though, Sanchez may need to work out of the bullpen, until his blister issues are resolved. But, the Jays need outfielders and may, in their temerity, think they can fix Happ. So, why not try to hook Sanchez for Happ?
Seems like a good trade. While I feel like they would not be willing to acknowledge hit Happ’s value has taken, it could work because they may ignore hit Sanchez’s value has taken (as they did when they acquired Quintana, who was having a down year.) So I could sort of see it.
I’d prefer Chatwood over Sanchez. Have you looked at Sanchez’s numbers? He walks more guys than Chatwood. And, he can’t even stay on the field. Bring Rea up and see what he can do.
Because nothing about Sanchez makes you think he’s any better than his terrible numbers. Why waste future value on him?
The Pirates are saying “Welcome to OUR world”. EVERY SP for us has been on the DL, er, ah, IL and our best, Jamo Taillon, is probably done for the year.
I was thinking Sanchez as a buy low. Granted, he’s been junk for the past 3 years, but if there’s nothing physical wrong with him, than there could still be hope.
Montgomery was blasted his last time out. I don’t follow him. Any chance he will turn things around or is he too banged up? This looks like a lost year.
No doubt the Braves and the Dodgers have played the best Baseball in the NL to date. But the season is only 1/2 over. Lots could change. Plus everyone knows the playoffs are a crap shoot. I opined earlier that the Cubs starters in 2018 were healthy all year and that would be difficult to repeat. It is true the Cubs have played better in the second half in recent years, but their schedule is brutal in September, making it tough for them to pull away. The Reds and Pirates are better than you think. I look for them to both contend. 86 wins may well take the division. The Cards offense should get better, and their starters are beginning to resemble a strength. By the All-Star break I bet all teams will be within 3 games of each other.
Should be fun!