Cubs Injury Notes: Busy Day of Activity for Miley, Mills, and Simmons

A handful of Cubs injury updates for your Tuesday mid-day …

Wade Miley (elbow) is set to throw a bullpen in Chicago today, which is actually pretty meaningful. As a guy is actively rehabbing from an injury or building up to the season, he’d be in Arizona at the Cubs’ facilities in Mesa. When the season has already started, and a pitcher gets closer to a minor league rehab stint, you often see them come join the big league team so the staff there can work with/evaluate where things are. If things look good, the plan can be laid out for the return/debut process.

In other words, had I to guess where Miley is in his build-back-up, he’s probably gonna throw for the coaches today, see how he feels tomorrow, and if he feels/looks good, he could either head out later this week for a minor league rehab stint at South Bend or Iowa, or he could stick around with the big league team to throw some live BP sessions first. It’s possible the Cubs would send him back to Arizona to get his first game action in an Extended Spring Training game or some other simulated game, but I tend to think if he’s coming to Chicago to throw today, it’s probably a prelude to a minor league rehab stint.

If it plays out that way, you could ballpark a couple rehab outings (30 pitches and then 50-ish pitches?) before Miley would be, at the earliest, ready to debut with the big league Cubs. That would put it right around the flip of the calendar from April to May – roughly the estimate back when the elbow issue popped up – and right around the time the roster shrinks from 28 to 26. Things are about to get really crunched.

That’s also because Alec Mills (lower back) is probably close to a rehab stint of his own. He’s set to throw live BP in Arizona today, and that might be his final checkpoint before heading out to a minor league rehab start (maybe as soon as Thursday?). Mills is already stretched out to 70-ish pitches, so it’s possible he would get just one rehab start before re-joining the big league team. If so, and if he made that start on Thursday, he would be on schedule to take the 5th starter spot the next turn through the rotation. Presently, no one is announced for Thursday’s game, but that is where Mark Leiter Jr. would be if he got another start.

Leiter really did look great in those first two innings in Colorado, but once the Rockies had seen all his pitches and the lineup turned over, it was ugly. Maybe the Cubs will try to get two or three innings, tops, out of him on Thursday against the Pirates? Then Mills takes the next start in that spot?

Lastly, Andrelton Simmons (shoulder) is also set to do some live batting practice today in Arizona. His shoulder is about 85-90%, according to David Ross, but a recent setback with his finger is what slowed him down on the hitting side. He will almost certainly get a two or three-day minor league rehab assignment before being activated, so I wouldn’t look for him to join the Cubs until right around that same late-April/early-May range we’re looking at for Miley. Again, roster crunch looms.

Whenever Simmons is ready to go, I suspect whatever level of regularity he was going to be starting out of the gate has probably already changed, with Nico Hoerner showing out so well defensively at shortstop. You still want Simmons’ elite glove in the mix – assuming he can still defend at that level – and you still want to see Hoerner moving around to optimize the defense and the match-ups, but you’re not going to bounce him completely from shortstop at this point. It’s much more valuable long-term to keep getting Hoerner reps there and finding out more about just how good he can be there defensively.

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

Big Ten Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 29

There is one game on the postseason college basketball schedule on Friday that feature Big Ten squads, and we have best bets recomendations. That matchup is the Gonzaga Bulldogs versus the Purdue Boilermakers.How to Bet on Big Ten Games[lasso ref="draftkings-promo-1"...

SEC Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 30

The Friday postseason college basketball slate includes two games featuring an SEC team in action. Among those games is the Creighton Bluejays playing the Tennessee Volunteers. Here are our recomendations for the best bets on action throughout the conference.How to...

Big 12 Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 30

There is one game on the postseason college basketball schedule on Friday that feature Big 12 squads, and we have best bets recomendations. That matchup is the Duke Blue Devils versus the Houston Cougars.How to Bet on Big 12 Games[lasso...

ACC Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 29

There are two games on the postseason college basketball schedule on Friday that feature ACC squads, and we have best bets recomendations. That includes the Duke Blue Devils versus the Houston Cougars.How to Bet on ACC Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Best ACC...

Big East Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 29

There are three games on the postseason college basketball schedule on Friday that feature Big East squads, and we have best bets recomendations. That includes the Creighton Bluejays versus the Tennessee Volunteers.How to Bet on Big East Games[lasso ref="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"...

Braves vs. Phillies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Atlanta Braves open their season as -125 favorites in a road matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday at 3:05 PM ET, live on BSSO.Spencer Strider takes the mound for Atlanta while Zack Wheeler is Philadelphia's starter for the...

Washington State vs. Illinois Women’s Basketball: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

Two hot teams meet when the Washington State Cougars (21-14) host the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-15) on April 1, 2024. The Cougars will put their three-game win streak on the line against the Fighting Illini, who have won three straight.On...

Villanova vs. Penn State Women’s Basketball: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

The Villanova Wildcats (21-12) will try to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Penn State Lady Lions (22-12) on April 1, 2024. The Lady Lions have also won three games in a row.In its previous game, Villanova...

Brewers vs. Mets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

The Milwaukee Brewers look to start their season with a win as road favorites (-110) in a season-opening matchup with the New York Mets. First pitch is on Friday at 1:40 PM ET on SNY, live from Citi Field.Freddy Peralta...

Braves vs. Phillies Probable Starting Pitchers – March 29

The Atlanta Braves (0-0) and the Philadelphia Phillies (0-0) match up on Friday at Citizens Bank Park for Opening Day. First pitch is at 3:05 PM ET.The Braves will look to Spencer Strider versus the Phillies and Zack Wheeler.Braves vs....

more cubs news