The Cubs got good news over the weekend when the first test that the team gave to star slugger Kyle Tucker yielded positive results. Tucker was deemed fit enough and close enough to a return from the calf injury he suffered on September 2 to avoid placement on the injured list, leaving open the possibility he could be back in the lineup any day now.
Still, there are more hurdles to clear, and calf injuries are not to be taken lightly. On Monday, Tucker did clear another hurdle when he again took to the field and showed he could handle near 100% running.
The Cubs, who lost to the Braves, 4-1, on Monday in Atlanta, badly need Tucker’s bat in the lineup. Chicago has lost four of the five games without Tucker, and while they had an 11-run explosion in the one win, they have scored just six total runs in the four losses.
Kyle Tucker IL Stint Not Happening
Cubs manager Craig Counsell was asked about Tucker and whether the notion of putting him on the IL has cropped back up. It is almost pointless now, though, as the team could have backdated the IL stint and had Tucker ready for the weekend, but pretty much missed that chance.
“At this point, no,” Counsell said. “I think we’re making good progress. As long as we’re having days where we’re moving forward and getting closer — that’s what we’ve felt the last two days, especially — we’re in a good place.”
Cubs Make Decision on Palencia
Of, perhaps, bigger concern is the shoulder injury suffered by Daniel Palencia, the Cubs’ star closer who suffered a brutal showing (five runs allowed and no outs recorded) in Chicago’s 6-3 loss to the Nationals on Sunday. Palencia saw his ERA skyrocket from 2.12 to 3.00 in that one outing and after the game, it was revealed he’d suffered a shoulder injury.
Palencia was put on the 15-day disabled list, but might not pitch again in the regular season. Counsell said the team would have a better idea by the weekend.
“I think what we’re gonna do is just treat the symptoms for this series here in Atlanta, see where that gets us, Wednesday night,” Counsell said. “And then figure out the next move from there, with going back home and the day off and stuff. It’s a shoulder strain. We’re just going to give him treatment and see how it responds over the next couple of days and then go from there.
“We put him on the injured list. We’re gonna take these three days to treat him and then I think Friday in Chicago we’ll probably have a better idea what direction this is gonna go.”
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