Cubs place ailing reliever Hunter Harvey on injured list

CHICAGO — The Cubs positioned righty reliever Hunter Harvey on the injured list Sunday as a consequence of irritation in his proper triceps. Harvey, 31, appeared in solely 4 video games earlier than taking place because the group was cautious with him as a result of he has been injured typically in his profession.

“He just wasn’t recovering well,” Cubs supervisor Craig Counsell mentioned Sunday morning. “We’re trying to get stuff before it gets too bad here. And hopefully it’s just a little bit of soreness and triceps, and we can get rid of it in two to three weeks and move on.”

Harvey gave up three runs in 4 innings earlier than being positioned on the IL. He has appeared in 50 video games in a single season simply as soon as in his eight-year profession. He signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Cubs as they pegged him as a late-inning highlighter. In his first month of the season, he noticed motion in simply 4 video games, and now he lands on the injured list.

“I think that rolls into trying to be conservative here, absolutely,” Counsell mentioned. “But the way he was recovering and kind of the usage, it just has sent up some red flags that we’ve got to be careful here and pause.”

Harvey joins righty Phil Maton on the shelf. Maton is down with a knee difficulty after additionally signing a free agent cope with the Cubs. The losses are not any small points for a group that has gotten off to a gradual begin this season.

The Cubs known as up lefty Charlie Barnes to take Harvey’s spot on the roster. Barnes pitched within the KBO from 2022 to 2024 earlier than signing a minor league cope with Chicago in January. He final pitched within the massive leagues for the Twins in 2021 earlier than going abroad.

Chicago has struggled in April, dropping the primary two video games of its residence weekend collection towards the Pirates. The Cubs have failed largely on the plate, the place first baseman Michael Busch is 0 for his previous 30 at-bats and is not within the beginning lineup Sunday.

“It’s been pretty frustrating, but just putting one foot in front of the other each day and just continuing to work,” Busch mentioned. “[I] started to feel a little better as of late, but obviously not getting the results I want.”

Busch could not level to 1 factor that is holding him again after being arguably the Cubs finest total hitter final season, when he hit 34 residence runs with a .261 batting common. After incomes three hits on Opening Day, Busch noticed his common dip to .118 earlier than being pinch-hit for in Saturday’s contest towards the Pirates. Now, he’ll get a full time off.

“This is just trying to give a reset to a player that’s a really good hitter, that probably [needs] just a mental break a little bit,” Counsell mentioned. “He’s just got stuck a little bit and is not having any success and not getting any results.”

Busch mentioned that his timing is likely to be off a bit of however that there is no one type of pitch holding him again. He’s merely not hitting something with a lot authority.

“Just having days where [I’m] swinging at pitches out of the zone, and that’s never really a recipe for success,” he mentioned.