The Chicago Cubs will be without their top starter for at least the next two weeks.
Shota Imanaga has been diagnosed with a “very mild” left hamstring strain, manager Craig Counsell said after the Cubs’ 9-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Monday.
“That makes us optimistic,” Counsell said. “We’re going to be cautious and make sure he’s back to 100%, but all in all pretty good news.”
Imanaga went on the 15-day injured list Monday with the injury. Right-hander Gavin Hollowell was recalled from Triple-A Iowa and tossed two shutout innings against the Giants.
The 31-year-old meet with head team physician Dr. Stephen Gryzlo on Monday night to review the MRI results, giving Imanaga and the Cubs a better idea of the severity of his hamstring injury.
Speaking before the MRI results were reviewed, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer didn’t want to speculate on a potential timeline for Imanaga’s return, though he conceded that hamstring strains are usually more than a two-week injury, “but after that it’s a pretty wide disparity.” Another wrinkle to the situation: Imanaga said Sunday he has never dealt with a lower-body injury, so he won’t have a frame of reference for a return, which could make it a challenge when gauging the recovery process.
When discussing the update postgame, Counsell anticipates Imanaga likely being out beyond the two weeks because the Cubs don’t want to hurry him back.
“I mean, no one’s going to be Shota, but we have to have guys step up,” Hoyer said. “Our depth is getting challenged a little bit, but I think we still have pretty good depth and options.
“The most important thing with that kind of injury is to get him back and healthy for the remainder of the season. You talk about returning to play versus returning to your previous form, and that’s the most important thing, and it may take some time to get there.”
Top pitching prospect Cade Horton, who is at Triple A, and right-hander Chris Flexen, currently in the bullpen, are both options to take over Imanaga’s rotation spot, a turn that could come as soon as Saturday against the New York Mets at Citi Field. With upcoming off days on the next two Thursdays, the Cubs have some flexibility with how they can utilize their pitching staff.
Horton, 23, has impressed through six starts with Triple-A Iowa, where he has logged 29 innings with a 1.24 ERA.
Imanaga pulled up after attempting to cover first base in the sixth inning of Sunday’s loss in Milwaukee. He came out of the game following the sequence. Imanaga also exited his April 29 start in Pittsburgh one batter into the sixth because of cramping in both legs.
It’s another blow to the Cubs’ rotation with left-hander Justin Steele already out for the season following surgery on his elbow. Right-hander Colin Rea has admirably filled in since replacing Steele in the rotation, posting a 1.86 ERA over 19 1/3 innings in four starts.
In eight starts this year, Imanaga owns a 2.82 ERA in 44 2/3 innings.
The performances from right-hander Jameson Taillon and left-hander Matthew Boyd have helped the Cubs’ rotation rank second in the National League and fifth in the majors in ERA (3.44) entering Monday, while the group’s 188 1/3 innings are 10th.
Hoyer and the Cubs didn’t need a reminder of the value of pitching depth, though the injuries to Steele and Imanaga within the first five weeks of the season certainly reinforce that importance and value of having options. Although there are regular conversations with other teams, Hoyer doesn’t expect a significant trade to materialize this early in the season.
“You just sort of expect you’re going to need all your depth, and I think that when you have moments of relative health, realizing that can be fleeting and things happen,” Hoyer said. “It’s a major-league season, it’s play every day, and we’re going to have injuries. All those guys are going to be pushed.
“You can never stop trying to push guys to optimize because you’re going to need a lot of guys to get through a major-league season.”
