This team can’t catch a break, can they? They survived April, after a bunch of injuries to the pitching staff, and now they’re starting the month of May with Nico Hoerner exiting Friday’s series opener in the second inning. The Chicago Cubs star was seen grimacing rounding first base after hitting a leadoff double against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Hoerner once again looked uncomfortable as he jogged home from third base on Michael Busch’s two-run single, but the second baseman remained in the game and played second base in the second. Alarm bells started to ring in the bottom half when Matt Shaw was announced as a pinch-hitter for Hoerner.
Any time you see a guy wincing when running the bases, you almost always assume that he’s pulled a leg muscle or is experiencing a cramp. While the Cubs have a solid backup in Shaw, there is no doubt that losing Hoerner makes the team worse.
The team did provide an update later, and at the very least, it appears that Hoerner didn’t suffer a leg injury. Instead, the Cubs announced that Hoerner exited because of left-sided neck tightness.
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Entering Friday’s game, Hoerner was slashing .291/.370/.449 at the plate with four home runs. The Cubs named him their Player of the Month for April. Hoerner began the day with a 1.6 fWAR, tied for the second-highest in the National League.
The Cubs have been banged up recently around the infield as Alex Bregman has been playing through a toe issue, and earlier this week, Dansby Swanson exited a game against the San Diego Padres because of a glute cramp. Swanson sat out Wednesday’s series finale in San Diego, but did return to the lineup Friday.
So, hopefully it’s a minor neck issue for Hoerner. Maybe slept funny coming back from San Diego.
UPDATE
Craig Counsell revealed that Nico Hoerner was feeling neck pain during pregame warmups, and while not a major concern, he’ll need a day or two to get back to 100%.
The Cubs extended their winning streak at Wrigley Field by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 on Friday.
