Chicago Cubs southpaw Shota Imanaga left Sunday’s 4-0 loss against the Milwaukee Brewers (box score) with a strained left hamstring, marking the second consecutive start that saw him depart early with a physical issue. Last time out, Imanaga exited in the sixth inning with leg cramps.
Imanaga suffered the injury during the bottom of the sixth, when he was tasked with covering first base on a potential double-play ball off the bat of Christian Yelich. (Yelich was ruled safe.) He could be seen grabbing at the back of his left leg after completing the play. Take a look:
Chicago’s bullpen subsequently allowed a pair of inherited runners to score, impacting Imanaga’s line for the worse. The book closed on his afternoon with him surrendering two runs on four hits and a walk. He also struck out four of the 22 batters he faced.
For the season, Imanaga is now sporting a 2.82 ERA and a 2.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 44 ⅔ innings pitched.
The Cubs have not offered a timetable on Imanaga’s return. Baseball Prospectus’ database indicates that players with strained hamstrings tend to miss between three and four weeks on average. Should Imanaga abide by that precedent, he’ll become the third Cubs starter placed on the IL, joining Javier Assad (strained oblique) and Justin Steele (elbow surgery).
Chicago does have an obvious stand-in for Imanage available to them: right-hander and former first-round pick Cade Horton, who started at Triple-A on Sunday. That appearance lowered his seasonal ERA to 1.44 over six outings.
The Cubs exited Sunday’s game with a 21-14 record, good for first place in the National League Central. The Cubs will now return home and begin a series against the San Francisco Giants on Monday.
