On a day where it seems like players are dropping like flies – including major stars like Jacob deGrom, key Cubs players like Wade Miley, and top prospects like Riley Greene – I will admit I got REALLY nervous when I saw this update from all the Cubs beats: Nick Madrigal was, at the last minute, out of today’s split squad lineup.
Thankfully-ish, although the scratch is health related, it doesn’t yet sound to be a serious concern:
https://twitter.com/MLBastian/status/1509991358873829377
On the one hand, leg “fatigue” is not an injury, and being held out of the lineup in Spring Training is not really a big deal. On the other hand, you notice it a little more with Madrigal, whose 2021 season ended early because of a major hamstring injury that required surgery. It probably makes Madrigal and the Cubs extra cautious, but it’s also a reminder that this could be a mild limiting factor for him this season.
We’ll update if there’s more, but you can expect the Cubs to take it very easy with Madrigal before Opening Day, even if this isn’t anything close to an “injury” situation.