The Cubs got some unwelcome injury news today on two fronts. Closer Craig Kimbrel was placed on the 10-day IL with a knee injury, while further examination revealed that catcher Willson Contreras is expected to miss about a month of action. ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers covered the news (links to Twitter).
Righty Duane Underwood Jr. is coming up to replace Kimbrel on the active roster. The hope, clearly, is that it won’t be a lengthy absence for the recently added veteran.
All that’s really known at the moment is that Kimbrel is dealing with inflammation, though it seems he has already been cleared of major structural issues with an MRI. The veteran hurler says he’s confident he’ll be ready to return after the minimum absence.
Kimbrel has already saved nine games for the Cubbies. But the new relationship has been a bit rocky. In 12 2/3 innings, Kimbrel has already coughed up four home runs. He has exhibited a clear loss of velocity and sports a 17:8 K/BB ratio (a 15.0% K%-BB% is less than half his career average), though he’s still managing a strong 16.5% swinging-strike rate that’s right at his career mean.
Hopefully, the Chicago org will welcome back an even better version of Kimbrel once he has taken a brief respite and sorted out his knee. The team is facing a rather more worrying situation with its top backstop.
Contreras suggested that he expects at least four weeks on the shelf, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Tribune reports (Twitter links). He indicated that he’ll be taking a cautious recovery path — no doubt a good idea given the timing. While there’s every reason to believe Contreras will be fully healed in time for the stretch run and postseason, it’d only take one setback to put that at risk.
It stands to reason that the Cubs will be on the hunt for another receiver — a search that’ll be complicated by the new August acquisition rules. The club had Martin Maldonado briefly, but shipped him on to the Astros before the trade deadline. At present, Victor Caratini and Taylor Davis are holding down the fort.
Well that stinks. Horrible time for both those injuries. I guess Cishek’s arm will fall off now that Maddon will use him every day.
Don’t worry, Brandon Morrow will be ready any day now……… I’m sure of it………………………..
Meanwhile, Brandon Morrow’s shaved 20 strokes off his golf game.
Karma is a bit$h!
You Cub fans always making fun of Eloy’s injuries and TJ injuries to Sox pitching staff.
Too bad so sad. Your season is over!
Keep reaching ChiSox….seven years and counting since you’ve see 500 let alone contention. Both will be back in plenty of time for the playoffs. Google the word playoffs so you have some notion of what that is. But, as always, happy that Cub news can keep you employed.
Yep maybe Cubs can make up a 10 game deficit the last week of the regular season.
Should be “seen”.
So, by your logic, the Cubs will somehow drop from being 2 games up in the NL Wild Card race and 2.5 up in the NL Central to 10 games back in both… by the final week of the season. It’s nice of you point out your utter lack of baseball knowledge with just one truly ridiculous statement. You realize that’s a 12 to 12.5 game drop in the standings that has never occured this late in the season before, correct? Not to mention the fact that the Cubs have actually gained momentum since the AS break and the trade deadline. I guess you forgot to look up that the Cubs traded for 3 different relievers, and already have 3 other strong options to go to other than Kimbrel or even Kintzler in the 9th. We’re also sorry-not sorry that our 25 year-old backup catcher is far superior to your 29 year-old vet despite his career season he will never repeat. No wonder WhiteSox fans get such a bad rap, when people such as you go about trolling with such nonsense. Fans like you make me feel sorry for the real fanbase that has to put up with you.
I would be very cautious regarding this Karma thing. Giolito is pitching tonight so be careful.
At least Giolito already had TJ surgery and he doesn’t do that foolish Karate Kid thing.
Lmao. You’re such a sad, bitter troll.
Huh? I have never discussed Sox pitchers or their apparent injuries with any their Cubs fans.
But I also have never clicked on a Sox article with the intent to troll either so there’s that.
* other
No such thing as karma or your phone would break. You keep posting how Sox fleeced Theo . Q keeps winning games for us
Cubs fans are the worst. They dont play in my teams division, so there is no bias or rivalry involved. I like their stadium, and their team is ok with me. Their fans however, are the worst. Can you imagine how terrible they would be if they one more than once in our lifetime!
Lmao. Ok.
I dunno. Cishek was the Marlins every other day reliever for years and wondered the same thing, yet he’s still around after pitching nearly 70g a year for half a dozen seasons. his arm must be special.
It’s a much better time than 6 weeks from now.
Yikes Contreras is a tough loss for a whole month. So much for trading Maldonado.
Lucroy?
How about Castillo from the Sox to back up Caratini? He could be a cheap rental, yet his experience could prove to be valuable.
If put on Waviers somebody like Yankees would claim him before Cubs could.
It’s “waivers” and perhaps Cubs will tank just so they can get Castillo ahead of the NYY.
Yes, and if only the Cubs can figure out how to switch leagues.
Waivers just goes by record now, league isn’t part of it anymore.
Reuben sandwich – Learn the rules fool.
Just stop. You aren’t even aware that a player has to clear the waiver wire in his own league before a team from the other league can claim him? You have no business talking about baseball acquisitions. Fade away before you embarrass yourself further.
Yes, you really should long before you start speaking of baseball acquisitions. To quote Motley Crue “Girl, don’t go away mad. Girl, just go away.”
Cubs don’t have any $$$ to pick up remainder of Lucroy $3.35 mil salary – unless they jack beer prices to $15 each!
Yes, because jacking up their beer prices to twice your annual income would help relax the luxury tax threshold how exactly? They have more room there than you might think. Further evidence that you don’t know the rules of baseball acquisitions. If the Cubs were to sign Lucroy, they would do so for about $150K as the Angels would still be on the bill for the original $3.5M.
Hopefully Kemp can play catcher.
Between Carl Edwards Jr. and Duane Underwood Jr., the Cubs have cornered the Jr. relief pitcher market.
Edwards is on San Diego
Where’s Oil Can Boyd’s kid when you need him?
Whoops I forgot about that deal, thanks for the correction
Have Kyle Schwarber play backup catcher.
Or maybe KyleSchwarberMom
A month for a slight hamstring strain? That sounds a little over evaluating it.
Some guys are tougher than others and play through injuries.
It’s actually quite common for a catcher, considering what crouching behind the plate does to the calves, hamstrings, and quads.
How much did they pay to acquire Kimbrel?
Way too much lol
$43mil I think. Ha.
It’s a knee injury not an arm injury. could be alot worse.
Yeah. Anyone willing to write off Kimbrel over a few bad games after a delayed start to the season just doesn’t understand baseball / perspective.
Yeah anyone willing to overlook his disastrous 2018 postseason play coupled with a “few” bad games just doesn’t understand baseball/perspective. Face it, Cubs paid for his name.
Again, you’re using a tiny sample to generalize. Perspective in this situation requires context. I’m not saying Kimbrel will ever throw a sub 2 ERA season again, but come on–let’s not get carried away. Regression to the mean usually happens for players in may to june…this is still kimbrels april. Be cool.
It’s an excuse for recent poor outings.
Perhaps Cubs tanking for better draft pick.
Definitely. No doubt they had Contreras fake his injury down the first base line and probably the same with Kimbrel. Epstein is an evil jerk who makes bad decisions. Right? He’s gone too far this time.
Calm down there Shirley. Nobody said Epstein was evil or a “jerk”. He has made bad decisions the last three seasons that has made the roster progressively worse. Funny how Maddon gets criticized for how he manages the daily lineup and bullpen, yet they give Theo a pass.
How do you know my name?
I was clearly exaggerating given your previous posts. Epstein shouldn’t get a free pass, but he also built a WS roster a few years ago. This makes fans more willing to overlook his faults. I’m assuming more and more fans will or are realizing his mistakes. That being said, no GM is perfect. Epstein has quite the track record. 3 world series speaks for itself. I’d bet on him in the future before I bet against him.
Ok tanking for 8 years created your roster look at the Astros same thing but like any teams that starts winning they don’t get the draft picks, players start wanting more money and then you have to overpay for FA the baseball gods will make you mediocre prime example are the Cardinals play baseball the right way for 12 yrs then you hit a playoff slump and every troll is there to pick the bones.
Cubs 2 1/2 games in first , white sux 20 games out. Your team sucks chisuxcity. South side sucks
Don’t worry, Zobrist will be up in a month or so to save the day.
Plenty of open spots now on the roster.
He’s the only decent situational hitter on that club. Still won’t matter… the cubs are done.
I like that idea of trading Castillo from the Sox – we’ll even throw in the syringes.
You do realize that the trade deadline passed last week, right?
Maybe a little karma coming back for the WSCR guys and their arrogant bragging hoe they buried the Brewers and the of course lining up the rotation for the playoffs. Discussion of who would be 2-3 behind Lester: Hamels-Darvish or Darvish-Hamels. By the wayHendricks would go to the bullpen and as for Q, he didn’t get mentioned.
At one point Darvish was put with Scherzer and De Groom as the three pitchers with the best stuff in baseball! And people wonder why there are Cub haters out threre?
Yep we know it’s a “Cubs” station now, but they totally disrespect and/or ignore the Sox.
That would be ignore. Like the rest of the baseball world. Can’t disrespect something you ignore.
Well you seem to be fixated on the Sox.
U r welcome to come watch a Sox game and sit safely behind the netting.
I watch four to six games the Sox play every season. And yes I am aware there are plenty of seats available at that ballpark…. except when they play the Cubs.
Pretty easy to ignore a team that will be saying we’re close for yet another year and one that continues to move from every possible AM outlet in Chicago radio because they overall product has been horsesh*t, much like it’s mostly moronic fan base. But hey, next year maybe schedule some more dog days because that’s the only time you come close to filling Guaranteed “under 20,000” Field.
@buck… I have many friends that are Sox fans and they are really not moronic. Albeit, small by comparison, they are pretty loyal. It’s just the select few that harbor ill will because this is a Cubs city (nation) and make themselves feel of value caring about the Cubs.
You write like a 12 yr old.
Oh wait, you’re a cubs fan. My bad little buddy.
This coming from a fan base whose slogan was “wait til next year” for 100+ years…
At least you’ll always have that 1.
Yeah, no excuses. Sorry about that as I do see the typo that I made. What’s your excuse for being an a-hole troll 24/7? Seriously, do tell. Is your life that miserable that you spend your entire day and night waiting to chime in on every Cub story that crosses these pages? Also curious to know if your Mom had any kids that lived???
Triggered?
Whoa, cool the jets a bit there, buckner. As Cub fans, you and I both know the struggle of being “close” for years on end and never quite getting there due to one issue or another. We also understand the restraints of having a profit-first ownership which refuses to put more money into the team than necessary for filling the seats on weekends. Have you forgotten how the Tribune Company managed the team’s affairs for over 30 years? The WhiteSox have a truly strong core that has yet to live up to its potential. If it does, the WhiteSox sit in the one division primed for such a team to dominate. If it does not, they have a fine farm system that they can build upon with a few trades here and there. Their situation is not nearly as dire as say that of the Marlins, Tigers, Royals, Orioles, and possibly the Indians in a couple of years.
Let’s not go into full-flame hypocrite mode, simply because one particular idiotic troll knows absolutely nothing about baseball.
I dunno. Cishek was the Marlins every other day reliever for years and wondered the same thing, yet he’s still around after pitching nearly 70g a year for half a dozen seasons. his arm must be special.
I guess it’s inevitable to wonder how much the long layoff and the lack of a proper spring training is affecting Kimbrel.
Money well spent.
Kimbrel was so bad last few months last year. Washed up and big waste of money.
I’m a Redsox fan n I hope Kimbrel has a terrific yr, we loved him n miss him in Boston. He’s a great guy with a lovely family n I just hope he finds a good home with Theo n company. Please give the guy a break, he had no spring training n developed a knee, which is prolly why he’s had a few problems, but he’ll be fine. The fans of the Cubs will love him as Boston did.
Give him a break for being greedy and holding out?
Give him a break for being greedy and holding out?
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Really bad advice from his agent, and a bad decision on his part not overruling his agent.
In a world where a superior, and younger, talent like Chapman gets $85M/5, the idea that Kimbrel, two years older at the his walk year, could get $100M+, was laughable.
In addition to being two years older than Chapman was, and not as good, he had kind of a shaky 2018. A 4.5 BB9 is a big warning sign.
Pashak2 are you a woman? That looks like female type.
I’m a RS fan as well, and i am not sure that the Cubs fans will love him. He did a good job for us, From 7/23 onwards last year, he had a 4.79 ERA with a 33/15 K/W in 20.2 IPs. He followed that up with a 5.91 ERA in the playoffs, with a 10/8 K/W.
I don’t root against former RS players, but his stats were certainly not vintage Kimbrel. I assume he’ll do okay, but I have my doubts that fans are going to love the guy.
HaaHaaa Haaahaaaaaheeehehehehaaaa-haaaaa
Absolutely love news like this for the Cubs and their fans. Keep it coming. Let’s hope they miss the playoffs altogether.
Well, we certainly know that the Pirates will miss the playoffs at the very least.