Just when the guy had been excellent for the longest stretch he’s had in a year+, Carl Edwards Jr. is headed to the Injured List.
It’s not an injury you hear about too often:
Roster move:
Cubs place RHP Carl Edward Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a left thoracic strain. LHP Tim Collins recalled from Triple-A Iowa. Collins is already here in LA.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) June 13, 2019
Since returning from Triple-A, Edwards had a 2.03 ERA with 15 K vs. 3 BB in 13.1 innings, with only 4 hits allowed. Limited hitters to a .093 average and .335 OPS during that time period.
Felt OK Sunday, but reported soreness on Monday. Cubs opted not to take chances.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) June 13, 2019
So, normally when you hear “thoracic” in relation to a pitcher, it’s the dreaded thoracic outlet syndrome, which requires surgery, and is not at all a guarantee to come back from (though guys have had slightly better success in recent years). This doesn’t sound like that issue, though, because that is a nerve issue, and this says Edwards is dealing with a strain (which would be a muscular issue).
The other reason to suspect this might not be TOO serious? Since Edwards hasn’t pitched in three days in any case, his IL stint can be backdated three days, and thus he’s only required to be out for another week. In the meantime, the Cubs get to bring in a fresh lefty arm rather than try to get by for another day or two without Edwards AND probably without Steve Cishek, too. They likely were looking for a way to make a roster move in any case.
Hopefully, then, this is just going to be a matter of a minimum stay for Edwards, and the Cubs not wanting to pitch with a limited bullpen against the Dodgers.