Convalescence Watch: Big Day for Castro and Olt, Arrieta and McDonald Shoulders

nomar injured cubsWhen you consider the injury stories from around baseball, the Chicago Cubs – KNOCK ON THE BIGGEST PIECE OF WOOD YOU CAN FIND – have had it pretty easy this Spring.

  • Mike Olt’s shoulder fatigue really doesn’t sound like much of a deal, at least not beyond the shoulder soreness that has prevented him from playing third base all Spring long. And it’s possible that he simply got yesterday off so that he could rest up in advance of a debut at third base in tonight’s game against the Rangers. As Olt put it to Cubs.com: “I’m just trying to get ready to play third. I think I’ve been putting a little toll on [my shoulder]. My main goal is to get out and play third. It’s definitely not a setback or anything like that. We just felt like,’Hey, if we want to get out there soon, we have to take it easy.'” Narratives are a funny thing: if Olt had never been in yesterday’s lineup (and then subsequently removed), we probably would have thought nothing about it. And then if he played tonight at third base, we would have been all, “see! things are coming along just fine, progressing normally, and now he’ll play some third!” So, here’s hoping Olt plays third base tonight, and this shoulder fatigue thing becomes the nothing it always probably was. The shoulder soreness, of course, remains something to watch, if you can appreciate that distinction.
  • Starlin Castro tells Cubs.com his hamstring is up to 80%, and he could run the bases today for the first time since he went down over two weeks ago. He’s hitting and fielding, and doing all that stuff already. It’s the running at full speed that’s the real final hurdle before he can get back into game action. Once he’s ready for that, the Cubs might send him off to play some minor league Spring Training games in which he can get extra at bats. All in all, if he’s ready for game action by the end of this week, I will have no concerns whatsoever about his readiness for Opening Day (not just in terms of health, but baseball preparedness).
  • Jake Arrieta’s shoulder must be feeling pretty good. He tells the Tribune that, as part of his conditioning, he rowed 5,000 meters on a machine on Monday. Arrieta told Jesse Rogers he felt good after this weekend’s live BP session, by the way. All is proceeding well.
  • James McDonald’s shoulder isn’t doing as well, but we don’t yet know the extent of the issue. Rick Renteria tells Cubs.com that the focus right now is on making sure McDonald is OK, and he’s not really saying what will happen to McDonald vis a vis the fifth starter job. The Cubs have options outside of McDonald obviously, and it’s hard to see a guy who had serious shoulder problems in 2013 being rushed back after experiencing shoulder discomfort in Spring Training. Hopefully it’s nothing serious, but, even if it’s not, McDonald could be in for a DL stint to start the year.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    Latest News

    Diamondbacks vs. Rockies: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    In their season opener on Friday, Corbin Carroll and the Arizona Diamondbacks take on Nolan Jones and the Colorado Rockies, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at Chase Field.Keep reading to find out how to watch the Arizona-Colorado...

    Guardians vs. Athletics: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Logan Allen will take the mound for the Cleveland Guardians when they square off against starter Ross Stripling and the Oakland Athletics in their season opener on Friday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.Find out how to watch the...

    How to Watch Mariners vs. Red Sox: Live Stream or on TV

    In their season opener on Friday, Julio Rodriguez and the Seattle Mariners play Rafael Devers and the Boston Red Sox, with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at T-Mobile Park.Keep reading to see how to watch the Seattle-Boston matchup...

    How to Watch Padres vs. Giants: Live Stream or on TV

    Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres (2-1) host Jorge Soler and the San Francisco Giants (0-1) on Friday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know to watch...

    Dodgers vs. Cardinals: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The St. Louis Cardinals (0-1), led by Paul Goldschmidt, visit Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2-1) at 10:10 PM ET on Friday.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to watch Los Angeles play St. Louis...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Astros vs. Yankees: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Houston Astros (0-1), with Cristian Javier on the mound, will host the New York Yankees (1-0), who will send out Carlos Rodon, at 8:10 PM ET on Friday.If you're trying to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and...

    Rays vs. Blue Jays: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0), led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., visit Yandy Diaz and the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at 6:50 PM ET on Friday.Find out how to watch the Tampa Bay-Toronto matchup below.When is Rays vs. Blue Jays and...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    more cubs news