NEW YORK -- Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera left Tuesday’s 9-6 victory over the Mets at Citi Field with a strain of both his left hamstring and left adductor, and he is expected to go on the 15-day injured list. Cabrera is scheduled to have imaging done on Wednesday.
The injury occurred in the fifth inning with the Cubs up, 7-2. With runners on first and second and two outs, Mets left fielder Jared Young hit a ground ball between first and second. Second baseman Nico Hoerner slid and grabbed the ball before throwing to Cabrera, who stretched at first base and caught it to get Young for the final out of the inning.
But Cabrera stayed on the ground for several minutes clutching at his left leg. Though he got back up and hobbled for a few seconds, he was unable to move much and eventually had to be carted off the field.
“What can I tell you? In that moment, all I was thinking about was, 'Get that out,'” Cabrera said through interpreter Fredy Quevedo Jr.
Cabrera threw five innings, allowing two runs while striking out four. He initially thought he might have to exit during the second inning. Young led off the frame and hit a comebacker that hit Cabrera in the groin. Cabrera managed to get the out, but manager Craig Counsell showed concern and checked on him with a team trainer. Cabrera stayed in the game.
“The only thing that was going through my mind was, 'I can’t leave the game this early, so I have to make it as deep into the game as possible,'” Cabrera said.
Cabrera has already dealt with several ailments this season, having exited his June 16 start with a right hand cramp and hitting the injured list on May 21 with a right middle finger blister. But the right-hander didn’t express any level of frustration of what he has gone through in his first year with the Cubs.
“I’m a believer in God. So I believe everything happens for a reason,” Cabrera said. “So I stay positive. That’s my mindset, and we are going to go from there. I’m a positive person, and I’m a believer.”
With Cabrera potentially out for a lengthy period, Counsell expressed concern about Chicago's lack of pitching depth. The Cubs already have Jameson Taillon (left hamstring strain), Cade Horton (right UCL surgery) and Justin Steele (left elbow flexor strain) on the IL. In a bit of good news, left-hander Matthew Boyd is expected to come off the IL and pitch in Thursday’s series finale against New York.
“We are in a rough spot,” Counsell said. “I think we could get through it through the All-Star break. … It’s going to be a little bit of a puzzle until then.”