Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga sustained what the team described as a left hamstring strain during today’s start against the Brewers. With one out in the sixth inning, Imanaga picked up the injury while covering first base during a fielder’s choice from Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich. Imanaga was immediately favoring his hamstring even before the play was completed, and was removed from the game after consulting with team trainers.
More imaging and tests need to take place before the Cubs decide whether or not Imanaga will head to the 15-day injured list, 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine writes. Chicago has an off-day this coming Thursday, so conceivably, the team could skip Imanaga’s next turn in the rotation to give him some time to recover without putting him on the IL and losing him for at least 15 days.
That said, the fact that the injury has already been described as as strain certainly makes it seem like a 15-day IL stint is the most probable result. With Imanaga likely out of action and Justin Steele already gone for the season due to UCL surgery, Chicago is now down its top two projected starters.
Signed to a four-year, $53MM contract during the 2023-24 offseason, Imanaga’s move from Nippon Professional Baseball to the majors went very smoothly, as he delivered a 2.91 ERA over 173 1/3 innings in his first big league season. The lefty was off to another good start in his sophomore season, as counting today’s outing, Imanaga has a 2.82 ERA in 44 2/3 innings. That quality ERA does mark some troubling secondary numbers, however, as Imanaga’s 18.9% strikeout rate is well below average, and he has allowed a lot of hard contact.
Those metrics notwithstanding, Imanaga was still delivering good bottom-line results, and helping the Cubs rise to first place in the NL Central. Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd have also pitched well, Colin Rea has performed well since being inserted into Steele’s rotation spot, and Ben Brown has been inconsistent but serviceable in covering innings.
Assuming Imanaga will indeed go on the IL, Chris Flexen might be the likeliest replacement, as he was already working as a starter at Triple-A before Chicago selected his contract to the big league roster earlier this week. Flexen has thus far made one appearance with the Cubs (a three-inning relief outing in Friday’s 10-0 win over Milwaukee), and could be fairly easily stretched out again for a starting gig in Imanaga’s place.
If not Flexen, the Cubs could call Jordan Wicks up from Triple-A, or perhaps give star prospect Cade Horton his first taste of Major League action. Javier Assad won’t be an option for perhaps several months, as Assad recently suffered a Grade 2 oblique strain while pitching on a rehab assignment for an earlier oblique strain suffered in Spring Training.
Here comes Horton!
Who?
Thought you heard?
Still too soon.
Flexen is already here. He’ll get first shot. Cubs will just bring up a reliever. Maybe Keegan. He’s being stretched out in Iowa. Some people who should be in the running aren’t pitching great right now.
Yes sir, Uncle! And if they really want they can go on regular rest and not need Shota’s fill in until the Mia, Sox, Mia, Cin, Col stretch.
Last thing the Cubs need is another rental.
Is he related to the Tim Horton of Canadian donut fame, or am I thinking of Tim Morton? Either way, didn’t realize he also played ball.
I hear Kenta Maeda’s filling out job applications as we speak. Granted, his Tigers career didn’t go at all well, buf maybe there’s a bit of gas left in the tank?
For Korea I hope. I bet he wouldn’t count as a foreigner there either.
Two exits in a row due to leg issues is alarming. I’d be prepping Horton for an early intro.
At some point the cubs were gonna cub
Please explain?
no FIP mention lol
It’s ok to mention Imanagas poor FIP when discussing him. You do with every other starting pitcher that’s discussed so you should with him too.
He has a 4.85 FIP. Shouldn’t be too hard to replace that.
Hey King…hate to break the news to you but he just needs to back in October. Keep trolling…make yourself feel valuable all summer long.
Cubs haven’t made the playoffs since 2020.
All I know is that Fergie Jenkins pitched in the majors for 19 years, covered first base many many times, and never got hurt doing it. Rick Reuschel, who was fat, had a career of similar length, and never got hurt covering first.
A lot is different in baseball nowadays–how hard they throw, how hard they swing, etc.– but one thing that has not changed is the skill set required of a pitcher to to cover first. So this is puzzling and frustrating.
It is getting harder to be a fan, because so many of the players you root for are constantly injured. That is one reason baseball has fewer passionate fans than it used to have, I think.
Hard to tell if this will sink the Cubs. I do know that there sometimes is a sort of cumulative effect to injuries, especially injuries to the starting rotation. At some point a rotation just isn’t talented enough for the team to be successful. We’ll see how it works out this time.
There is no need to cover 1st base anymore because 33% of ABs end in strike outs
Even if the Cub’s lose Imanaga for a while they still look likely to win the division. As a Brewers fan, it’s hard to ignore all their issues, especially their lack of quality starters. Perhaps the Reds will be the Cub’s most likely threat.
Big test for this team and that FO. They’ve said that Horton needs more seasoning in Iowa. I hope they’re patient enough to at least give Flexen a couple of starts. No one with a viable starter wants to trade til the deadline so ride with what you have, as long as you can stay competitive… I won’t even go into Hoyer’s (Rickett’s) chicken $hit approach to serious starters last offseason but man, it’s coming back to bite them in the a$$ right now.
Big test? After the Giants, Mets they should dominate for a while. Miami, White Sox,, Colorado, with the Reds sandwiched in between. I think it’ll be OK until Shota makes it back.
Uncle, I might be crazy, but I’m a little worried about the White Sox series. They seem to have some young hitters jelling all at once, and that catcher Quero reminds me of Yadier Molina in his ability to hit ’em where they ain’t. Especially against the Cubs diminished rotation, the Sox could be pesky.
If I’m crazy, tell me so and I’ll stop worrying.
You’re crazy. Not a matter of talent but of emotions and rivalry. Cubs weren’t going to have Shota or Tallion against the Giants anyway. Then you have a day off. Then you have Tallion, Boyd and either Brown or Rea against the Mets unless CC wants to throw Flexen in to give every body an extra day off. Cubs can still set it up any way they want. Cubs -Sox records and odds don’t mean much. Cubs have everything going for them including home field the first time around.
They have 4 starters- one a converted long reliever. An iffy bullpen and an offense that’s due for a cool off which happens to every team. Yes, Unc, they are gonna be seriously tested.
We’ll see. But nothing will be different than it would have been anyway this week. So what would have been will have been anyway other than Shota missing a start. They’re not going to be “Tested” any more than they would have been anyway. And they’ll have plenty of time to figure it out. I can think of worse things happening than Horton and Brown in the rotation and they can slot Horton in Iowa any way they want. It might be his time. Depends on Flexen. He’s been a 4A player his whole life. What does he do? With 9 games coming up against the White Sox and Marlins what better time for him to stick a toe in the pond?
Flexen!!!!!!! For some reason, they keep on babying him saying Horton needs more development due to the fact he was out much of last year.
He’s already on an innings limit. It’s about keeping him healthy.. they’re not babying him.
The Cubs don’t need to make a trade. Everybody just take a pill or whatever you need to relax. There is still depth to draw from. Wicks has been either good or horrible. Keegan has been getting stretched out and doing well. Miller has been fine, Don’t know how he fits. I don’t know about Merryweather. He also either looks good or horrible. He would have been the LAST guy I would have brought in especially since he pitched yesterday and with his walks. Think I would have gone Pomerantz there but you only needed one out so I can see it I guess. Noland has been solid. Birdsell hasn’t even pitched yet. Just need to take it easy and let it play out, It’ll be OK. Just still hope Hoyer keeps it in his pants and everything will be fine.
What happened to Yelich again? Didn’t Brewers fan blame Andy Haines the hitting coach? What’s wrong with the hitting coach now?
Curses!
Not really worried about Imanaga as that’s not serious with rest. More worried about Tucker who got dinged on a stupid steal of 2nd in the 9th. What was that about?
Taking away the double play. Decent possibility they don’t throw through there.
They were down 4 runs. Who gives a crap about a double play and risking your best player? It was stupid. Sorry
The game was over at 1-0 wild pitch. There was no Cubs comeback today. They didn’t reach 3rd until the 9th. It was a pitcher’s duel until Shōta got hurt.
Uncle…a hammy IS serious…and that “rest” could be multiple weeks or months…
JD hit on the steal there in the ninth that he was surprised they even threw through and vacated the position to even cover in that situation. Looks like it wasn’t a finger jam and probably hitting high on thigh going over the bag.
Realistically, Shota is out for 5 or 6 weeks, including rehab at Iowa. I sense some denial going on in some of these comments.
Lets let the Doctors and MRI come through first huh? Whatever happens don’t bring him back until he’s healthy. Still along way to go. Wicks is a phone call away. Horton is a 40 man move and a phone call away. Noland too. Did you take the pill like I said?
A couple years ago wicks looked like a real up and comer. What happened there? Hope it’s not flexen.
He’s just going through young pitcher syndrome. Right now he goes as his change up goes. When it’s on he’s on. When it’s not he’s not. Think it might have something to do with the crappy weather. That’s a feel pitch and it’s his bread and butter. But it’s still not an excuse. Just something he needs to figure out. He’ll be fine.
He’s only pitched 82 big league innings. It’s tough to develop young pitching while you are trying to win. You have to let them learn on the job but sometimes that takes time.
Cubs will be ok.