MILWAUKEE (AP) — Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga left Sunday’s game at Milwaukee after straining his left hamstring, adding another injury to the banged-up rotation for the NL Central leaders.
Imanaga got hurt when he left the mound to cover first base on a potential double play during the Cubs’ 4-0 loss to the Brewers. He departed his previous start with cramping in each of his legs.
“We’ll probably do some imaging to see what’s going on,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s never had any lower body muscle strains, so he’s a little unsure of what the feeling means. But he felt something, for sure, so we’ll just get it checked out tomorrow and go from there.”
Counsell said the Cubs would need more information before determining whether Imanaga needed to go on the injured list. The Cubs already have left-hander Justin Steele out for the season with an elbow injury and right-hander Javier Assad on the IL with an oblique issue.
If Imanaga has to go on the IL, the Cubs could move Chris Flexen into the rotation. They also have Cade Horton at Triple-A Iowa, and off days coming up on Thursday and May 15.
Imanaga’s injury occurred in the sixth inning of a scoreless game.
The Brewers had runners on first and second with one out when Christian Yelich hit a grounder toward first baseman Michael Busch. Imanaga left the mound to try to complete a 1-6-3 double play, but he was in clear discomfort as he headed toward first base.
As Yelich beat the throw to first, Imanaga grabbed the back of his left leg. After Cubs officials checked on Imanaga and removed him from the game, the pitcher walked with a clear limp as he headed to the dugout.
Imanaga pitched five innings in Tuesday’s 9-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates before departing because of leg cramps. He was charged with two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Brewers.
Imanaga noted that he felt “amazing” before Sunday’s game, so he isn’t sure what caused this latest problem.
“I’m at the point where I don’t know exactly what’s going on,” Imanaga said through a translator. “I don’t know what the damage is. We’ll have to see going into tomorrow.”
Imanaga, 31, is 18-5 with a 2.89 ERA since signing a four-year, $53 million contract with the Cubs in January 2024. The Japanese left-hander finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting last season.
The Cubs got another scare in the ninth inning when star outfielder Kyle Tucker appeared to hurt himself sliding into second on a double steal. Tucker got checked out by Cubs officials, but he remained in the game and expressed optimism afterward that he would be available Monday when Chicago begins a series with the San Francisco Giants.
“He felt a little something in his right hip when we went out there, then he thought it went away,” Counsell said. “We’ll check on him tomorrow, but (we’re) pretty optimistic.”
The Brewers had their own injury issues.
Right fielder Sal Frelick departed in the fourth with left knee discomfort and was getting an MRI after the game. Right-hander Freddy Peralta left after throwing 89 pitches in six innings because his groin was bothering him, though he downplayed it after the game.
“I didn’t want anything to get worse or something like that, but it’s nothing that I think I have to be concerned about,” Peralta said.
