Chicago Cubs southpaw Shota Imanaga has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained left hamstring, the team announced Monday. To take Imanaga’s place on the active roster, the Cubs have recalled right-hander Gavin Hollowell. Imanaga becomes the third Cubs starter placed on the IL, joining Javier Assad (strained oblique) and Justin Steele (elbow surgery).
The move comes one day after Imanaga left Sunday’s 4-0 loss against the Milwaukee Brewers (box score) with the injury, which marked 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.
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 go into Monday’s home series opener against the San Francisco Giants (CHC -120, SFG +100, over/under 7.5, per Caesars) with a 21-14 record, good for first place in the National League Central.
Add Comment