NEWSLETTER
Chicago Cubs reliever Brad Wieck, on the IL since earlier this month with an irregular heartbeat, will undergo a second cardiac ablation procedure to treat the issue (Bastian). He previously had the procedure done two springs ago, and it’s unclear how long he’ll be out.
The procedure, which involves adding scar tissue to address an abnormal rhythm, is not necessarily as serious as it sounds, but the reality is that any time someone has to get their ticker tinkered with, you hope for a very smooth process and a great outcome. Just a human level, you want Wieck to be OK, regardless of baseball.
As for the baseball part, Wieck hasn’t been moved to the 60-day IL yet, so that is at least some minimal signal that he isn’t expected to be out for multiple months. Some folks come right back from a procedure like this and get to work – Wieck returned to Spring Training just two days after his previous procedure, though pitching competitively takes more time to ramp back up. I wouldn’t expect Wieck back any time soon, even if it’s just matter of being super cautious in a season that won’t see the Cubs making the playoffs.
On the year, Wieck has yet to allow an earned run through his 17.0 big league innings. He’s striking batters out at a 39.4% clip, and nobody has hit him for shit. You definitely want him to get back and healthy and be a big part of the 2022+ bullpen. All the best to him.
