The Chicago Cubs pulled Javier Baez in the seventh inning during Monday night’s game against the Miami Marlins. We still don’t know how serious the injury is, but it’s not a back issue, which he talked about after Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cubs announced Baez was taken out because of groin tightness.
Baez left with right groin tightness. #Cubs
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) May 8, 2018
Ouch, enough with the groin injuries, right?
Anyway, here’s how Baez might have suffered that injury.
In the fifth inning the Marlins had runners on first and third with one out. Kyle Hendricks induced what could have been an inning-ending double play, but Kris Bryant’s throw over to Baez was wide of second base.
Baez stretched out to catch the ball, while also trying to keep his toe on the bag for the force out. The Cubs did get the out, as Baez eventually tagged the base, but the stretch was probably what led to his eventual departure.
Groin tightness for Baez. Probably from this play. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/goMTmThIFO
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) May 8, 2018
Baez cracked a three-run home run early in the game that put the Cubs ahead 5-0. He leads MLB with 32 RBIs and has homered in three consecutive games.
At this point in the season there’s no reason to push it and the Cubs have plenty of depth, so Baez should get all the rest he needs to get back at 100 percent.
The Cubs won Monday’s game 14-2, ending their five-game losing streak.
Yu Darvish was placed on the 10-day DL with the flu before the game and right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng is expected to fill in for Darvish on Tuesday against the Marlins.
