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Well, this looked not great. The Chicago Cubs were cruising against the woeful Miami Marlins, but during the series opener on Friday Ian Happ was seen talking with the team trainer and manager Craig Counsell in the dugout and was then replaced by rookie Alexander Canario in left field to begin the seventh inning.
Happ, who was an All-Star in 2022 and has won two consecutive gold gloves, has been a steady hitter for the Cubs and has settled into the leadoff role this year. There wasn’t anything that stood out that points to an obvious injury and the Cubs were comfortably ahead when Happ was lifted, but the outfielder did miss time in spring training with a hamstring issue, so this is something you’ll want to keep your eye on.
The switch-hitter was 0-for-2 with a walk and two strikeouts on Friday, lowering Happ’s season slash line to .240/.352/.360. Happ did get off to a scorching start in 2024, going 14-for-40 in his first 10 games. He also had a 13-game on-base streak to begin the season, which was snapped last Saturday against the Seattle Mariners.
Whether it’s the hamstring or something else, it does seem like Happ is dealing with something. Including Friday’s game, Happ is now 4 for his last 25 at the plate with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Happ has started in all 18 games so far in 2024, but Counsell has given the outfielder a few days off from the field, starting Happ as the DH four times.
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The Marlins should have a few more left-handed pitchers starting this weekend against the Cubs, so Happ may have gotten a day off anyway, with Canario stepping in like he did Friday afternoon. Hopefully it’s nothing serious going on with Happ because the Cubs are already without Seiya Suzuki, who alongside Michael Busch, was the best hitter on the team through two weeks.
Besides Suzuki, the Cubs have also been faced with pitching injuries. Justin Steele has been sidelined since Opening Day, Julian Merryweather has a shoulder strain and was recently placed on the 60-day injured list, while Jameson Taillon barely made his season debut Friday, missing the first three weeks as he was coming back from a back strain.
But hey, credit to the team because despite the major injuries so far in 2024, they keep winning, upping their record to 12-7 following Friday’s 8-3 victory over the Marlins.
