CHICAGO -- If everything goes according to plan, the Cubs have circled Friday as the day Kyle Tucker will make his return from the injured list.
Prior to Wednesday’s game against the Mets at Wrigley Field, Cubs manager Craig Counsell noted that he met with Tucker to discuss his ongoing comeback from a left calf strain. They “were on the same page” about having Tucker rejoin the lineup as a designated hitter for Friday’s game against the Cardinals.
“[That’s] our goal right now,” Counsell said. “I don’t think the symptoms are going to be gone, but I think he’s in a place where he knows and he agrees that, ‘We’ve got to go.’ We’ve got to see what it feels like to play. And I think maybe the game can actually help him here. The games are going to help him here and give him some confidence in a certain situation.”
Counsell added that he would encourage Tucker to keep his effort level to “80%-90%” in situations that did not require him to be at full intensity.
Tucker rejoined the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday after heading to Tampa, Fla., to meet with his long-time physical therapy group to get more eyes on his left calf, which necessitated a trip to the 10-day IL on Sept. 9. Running has been a persistent issue -- one that first forced him to exit a game on Sept. 2 and not respond well to treatment in the following days.
Tucker upped his running and agility work on Monday and Tuesday -- adding baserunning drills to the mix before the series opener against the Mets. Per Counsell, the outfielder spent Wednesday’s pregame session focused on hitting, outfield work and throwing.
By returning on Friday, Tucker will have three games to get at-bats ahead of the Cubs’ upcoming Wild Card series, which is set to begin on Tuesday. Tucker expressed confidence that he would be able to find his offensive rhythm ahead of Chicago’s postseason run.
“I think I’ll be all right,” Tucker said. “For the most part, I think it’s more of a mental thing. If I can get mentally locked in, and I feel comfortable and I get at least a few at-bats, it’s something [where] I’ll be fine.”
CUBS GATHERING MORE INFO ON HORTON
Cubs rookie Cade Horton was scheduled to undergo an MRI exam on Wednesday -- one day after exiting his start against the Mets early due to tightness in his mid-back. Counsell said the team wanted to gather more information before having Horton proceed with his regular routine.
“We took Cade out of the game last night, because he was concerned,” Counsell said. “So I think we want to make sure, as we go forward to the next step, that we know there’s nothing wrong. Obviously the intensity gets ramped up and everything gets ramped up a little bit, so let’s just make sure we know what we’re dealing with here.”
As things currently stand, Horton looks lined up for a possible start in Game 1 or Game 2 of the Wild Card series, barring a further setback.
Horton has been dealing with illness in recent days and has experienced discomfort in his back and rib-cage area due to a cough. The pitcher noted after his outing on Tuesday night -- one that lasted three innings and 29 pitches -- that he felt tightness while taking deep breaths. Horton was still sore on Wednesday morning, per Counsell.
PALENCIA REJOINING BULLPEN
Prior to Wednesday’s game, reliever Daniel Palencia was activated from the 15-day injured list, following a bout with a right shoulder issue. To clear a spot on the roster, left-hander Jordan Wicks was optioned to the team’s Arizona complex (due to the Triple-A season being over).
Palencia landed on the IL after the shoulder injury flared in his outing against the Nationals on Sept. 7. The righty has a 3.00 ERA with 22 saves this season, but Counsell plans on being flexible with his late-inning options rather than anointing anyone a “closer” right now.
“I just want Daniel to pitch,” Counsell said. “We’ve got to get Daniel outings and we’ve got to get Daniel on this mound. That’s the only thing that’s important.”
CAISSIE STILL SYMPTOMATIC
Rookie outfielder Owen Caissie -- ranked by MLB Pipeline as the top Cubs prospect and No. 44 on the Top 100 list -- is still experiencing concussion symptoms, per Counsell. The manager noted that Caissie (on MLB’s seven-day concussion list after hitting his head on Wrigley Field’s wall after a catch on Sept. 13 against the Rays) has been able to slowly increase activity, but only to a certain point before experiencing symptoms.