NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Cubs are injured. So very injured. It isn’t why they are struggling this year – most of the replacements have been guys we want to see anyway – but it probably hasn’t helped.
Some updates …
Drew Smyly hasn’t been placed on the IL just yet with his oblique injury – waiting on MRI results is official word – but it’s a foregone conclusion. There wasn’t a rush to do it with all the OTHER injuries the last few days, but the Cubs are going to want another arm soon. It could come by way of Michael Rucker coming off the IL (turf toe), it could come by way of Alec Mills returning (though he’s not eligible until June 6), or it could be Sean Newcomb coming off the IL (ankle), though he has really struggled at Iowa. Or it could just be a matter of bringing Anderson Espinoza right back. Either way, with Smyly out and Wade Miley on the IL, too (shoulder), we know that Matt Swarmer is getting another start or two.
Speaking of Miley, the Cubs are almost certainly going to be cautious in bringing him back because – let’s be honest – they’re going to want to make sure he’s fully healthy for July. Like Smyly, Miley could be a pretty solid rental starter at the Trade Deadline (there is ALWAYS a ton of need, and the market ALWAYS seems to be thin). If he’s healthy. If he’s healthy.
Seiya Suzuki (left ring finger) can do baseball things, but he was feeling pain when swinging the bat. So that’s when it was time to hit the IL, and he doesn’t want to return until he knows he’s not putting himself or the team at further risk (The Athletic): “I did get in a hitting session (Monday),” Suzuki said through interpreter Toy Matsushita. “Obviously I can hit, but I feel like I’m not in a condition to play a full nine innings. Even if I do, I may have to be taken out of the game in the middle of an inning and that could affect the other players on the bench. When I go out there, I want to be 100 percent and be at my very best.”
Jason Heyward (COVID IL) was cleared to re-join the team this past weekend, but hasn’t yet been activated. Everyone’s situation is different, but Marcus Stroman and David Robertson were activated immediately upon being eligible to re-join the team. So either Heyward’s COVID case was worse, his game was impacted in some tangible way, and/or the Cubs are really slow-playing his return because they don’t want to have to punt anyone else from the roster (but also don’t want to punt him). This situation is coming to a head, though.
At last check, Cubs reliever Ethan Roberts (shoulder) was throwing and feeling good, so I’m not quite sure what changed that he was, this week, transferred to the 60-day IL. Was it a setback? Was it just a recognition that he wasn’t going to return before June 30 (when his now 60-day stay minimum would be up)?
If I recall correctly, this was the same update on Adbert Alzolay (lat strain) a couple weeks ago:
Per Cubs: Adbert Alzolay hasn’t started throwing yet, but they’re planning on evaluating him soon to determine his throwing program.
— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) May 31, 2022
I’m not any more or less worried, since a super long absence was always expected for Alzolay (my internal rough timeline thought a return in July would be the earliest possible). I think post-Trade Deadline is looking increasingly likely, assuming he returns this year.
It’s not clear how long Jonathan Villar will be out after his freak accident with an exercise band. The Chicago Tribune reports that he will require “significant dental work,” so it’s conceivable he could be out for a long time. It sucks, because he’d finally started to hit again, and who knows what might have happened in July if a team was looking for a player with his skill set.
Brad Wieck (elbow strain) comes with no update here. I just hadn’t mentioned him in this space in a long time, and I thought it worth reminding folks that he exists, can be awesome when he’s healthy, and is a total unknown on his timeline.
