Keep track of the Cubs' recent transactions and injury updates throughout the season.

LATEST NEWS

July 5: RHP Kyle Hendricks exits with right shoulder soreness
Cubs manager David Ross pulled Hendricks from Tuesday's start against the Brewers after the veteran righty logged 69 pitches in three innings. Hendricks left with what the team announced as shoulder soreness, which is similar to an issue he dealt with at the start of June. In that instance, Hendricks took 12 days off before returning to the rotation. The pitcher said the next step will be to undergo an MRI exam in the coming days to try to get to the bottom of the ailment.

"Went out for the first warm-up of the game and kind of felt it," said Hendricks, who has a 4.80 ERA through 16 starts this season. "And it just set in from there. Rossy knows me. So, he knew. He could see it. There was no point in pushing. It's not something that's so bad that's going to get out of control. It's just not great. It's something we definitely want to get checked out and see what it's all about." -- Jordan Bastian

July 5: Catcher Willson Contreras day-to-day with left hamstring tightness
Contreras exited late in the Cubs' July 4 game against the Brewers due to a left hamstring issue and the team was still monitoring the catcher's progress into July 5. Veteran catcher Yan Gomes started in place of Contreras, who received treatment and felt improved enough to ride the stationary bike. Contreras had a similar issue in May, but returned after a few days of rest and recovery.

"He feels better. Not as sore as we thought [he'd be]," Cubs manager David Ross said on July 5 in Milwaukee. "I think it's very similar to what he felt last time. Very precautious -- smart on his behalf. We'll kind of take it day to day, let him go through some stuff and see if he's available off the bench." -- Jordan Bastian

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INJURY UPDATES

10-day and 15-day IL

RHP Marcus Stroman (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: As early as July 7-10 series at Dodgers
Stroman is scheduled to throw a bullpen session in the coming days, but beyond that, the Cubs had not decided whether his next step will be activation or a second rehab start, as of July 5. The righty logged 53 pitches (34 strikes) over 2 2/3 innings in with Triple-A Iowa on July 3. The veteran righty was charged with five runs on seven hits, and he ended with two strikeouts and one walk. Manager David Ross said on July 4 that the outing was "better than the line" based on the reports he received.

Stroman has noted that his shoulder issues flared up in the wake of his five-inning start May 19, when he came back from nearly two weeks on the IL due to COVID. He posted a 5.57 ERA in four starts (21 innings) before being placed back on the IL on June 10 (retroactive to June 7). -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: July 5)

LHP Drew Smyly (right oblique strain)
Expected return: July
Smyly threw 52 pitches (38 strikes) in four innings in a Minor League rehab outing with High-A South Bend on July 4, ending with six strikeouts, no walks and three runs allowed on four hits. The lefty is slated to log a bullpen session in the coming days. The Cubs are still weighing whether another rehab start will be necessary. Smyly was placed on the injured list prior to the June 1 game against the Brewers. He threw 49 pitches across three no-hit innings in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Brewers on May 30, but then exited with the oblique issue. Smyly has a 3.80 ERA through nine starts this season. -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: July 5)

2B Nick Madrigal (left groin strain)
Expected return: July
A Minor League rehab stint should be coming soon for Madrigal, who has faced live pitching in a BP setting and returned to regular baseball activity. He recently added baserunning as one of the final steps in his running progression. The 25-year-old landed on the injured list last month with back tightness and is now on the IL with a left groin strain (retroactive to June 12). He is hitting .222 (24-for-108) with three doubles and two RBIs in 31 games this year. -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: July 5)

LHP Daniel Norris (left index finger strain)
Expected return: July
Norris logged 22 pitches in a live BP session on July 5, facing Frank Schwindel and Nick Madrigal. A Minor League rehab stint could be coming soon for the lefty. Norris was placed on the injured list after pitching one inning against the Pirates on June 22, when he allowed four unearned runs. He has made 24 appearances (one start) and has a 7.24 ERA this season. -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: July 5)

1B Frank Schwindel (lower back strain)
Expected return: July
Schwindel faced lefty Daniel Norris (also on the IL) as part of a live BP workout on July 5 in Milwaukee. The first baseman has been building up his baseball activity in recent days and is slated to resume fielding work in the coming days. His back injury flared up while he was running to first base in the second inning of Chicago's 1-0 win over Atlanta on June 17 and he was placed on the IL the next day. It's a similar issue to the one Schwindel dealt with in Spring Training. Through 62 games this year, Schwindel has hit .237 with eight homers, 33 RBIs and a .668 OPS. -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: July 5)

RHP Alec Mills (lower back strain)
Expected return: TBD
After throwing only seven pitches against the Red Sox in his start on July 2, Mills departed the game due to low back pain. The Cubs then placed Mills on the 15-day IL the following day. The righty missed the first three months of this season while on the injured list due to a similar back issue and a right quad injury. Mills, 30, has posted a 9.68 ERA in seven appearances (two starts) this year. -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: July 3)

OF Jason Heyward (right knee inflammation)
Expected return: TBD
Due to a persistent right knee issue, the Cubs decided to place the veteran Heyward on the IL on June 30 (retroactive to June 27), following a five-day period of rest for the outfielder. Manager David Ross said the team is still in the process of determining the extent of the injury for Heyward, who has hit .204/.278/.277 in 48 games this season for the North Siders. In 21 games in June, following a return from the COVID-related IL, Heyward hit .200 with a .560 OPS. His timeline for return is unclear at this stage. -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: June 30)

LHP Wade Miley (left shoulder strain)
Expected return: TBD
Miley resumed playing catch during the Cubs' June 24-26 series in St. Louis and has continued to do so throughout the early stage of his throwing program. The veteran starter left the Cubs' June 10 game against the Yankees after three scoreless innings in his initial return from the injured list. The lefty had been on the IL with a left shoulder strain and is again on the shelf with a similar injury. He was examined by doctors June 13 and paused his throwing before recently being cleared for that step again. -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: June 30)

60-day IL

OF Michael Hermosillo (left quadriceps strain)
Expected return: June
The Cubs transferred Hermosillo to the 60-day IL from the 10-day IL on June 30 in order to select the contract of OF Narciso Crook from Triple-A Iowa. Sidelined since early May, Hermosillo went 2-for-28 in 17 games this season and has a .170 batting average in 89 career Major League games. He has started nine games in center field for the Cubs in 2022. He is working through his rehab at the team's complex in Arizona. -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: June 30)

RHP Ethan Roberts (right shoulder inflammation)
Expected return: TBD
Roberts, 24, will need Tommy John surgery, though no date has been set for the procedure yet. The Cubs' No. 28 prospect exited his first Minor League rehab appearance on June 20 with what was later assessed to be a UCL injury serious enough to shut down his season.

The Cubs initially placed Roberts on the IL due to a right shoulder issue on May 2 (retroactive to April 30). In his most recent appearance out of the bullpen, the righty averaged 91.4 mph on his cut fastball, which was down 2 mph from his previous outing. In nine games in his rookie 2022 season, the reliever had an 8.22 ERA with nine strikeouts and six walks in 7 2/3 innings. -- Jake Crouse (Last updated: June 23)

RHP Adbert Alzolay (right elbow tightness)
Expected return: TBD
Alzolay has been cleared to begin a throwing program for the first time since being shut down with a right shoulder strain during Spring Training. The pitcher had a recent checkup in Chicago and has since returned to the team's complex in Arizona to begin light throwing starting June 3. Alzolay sustained a right lat/shoulder injury in the preseason. The righty was hoping to compete for a rotation spot this spring, but he began the season on the 60-day IL. Last season, Alzolay posted a 4.58 ERA with 128 strikeouts and 34 walks in 125 2/3 innings across 29 appearances (21 starts). -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: June 3)

RHP Manuel Rodríguez (right elbow strain)
Expected return: TBD
The Cubs placed Rodríguez on the 60-day IL on June 1 due to a right elbow injury that has sidelined the hard-throwing righty since April. Rodríguez appeared in games for Triple-A Iowa on April 9 and April 12, allowing four runs on five hits with three strikeouts and one walk in two innings. The 25-year-old reliever posted a 6.11 ERA in 20 games for the Cubs in 2021. The timetable for his return is unclear. -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: June 1)

OF Codi Heuer (right elbow surgery)
Expected return: 2023
Heuer was with the Cubs during their homestand against the Pirates and D-backs, checking in with the team medical staff and having a chance to break up the monotony of rehabbing in Arizona. The righty underwent Tommy John surgery (Heuer noted it was a full reconstruction with an internal brace) on March 7, hopes to be back off a mound in September and is optimistic that a return to games could fall in the 14-16 month range post-surgery.

Heuer was one of the players acquired from the White Sox before last year's Trade Deadline in the deal that sent closer Craig Kimbrel to the South Side. In 65 games last year, Heuer had a 4.28 overall ERA, including a 3.14 ERA in 25 appearances down the stretch for the Cubs. His fastball velocity did drop to 95.9 mph on average in '21, compared to 97.6 mph in '20, per Statcast. Heuer believes the injury explains some of the issues he fought in '21.

"I think it was definitely something that was lingering," Heuer said on May 19. "The initial response of having this surgery was tough, but I did get a little closure that some of the stuff I was feeling, now I know why I was feeling it. Now I know that throughout this process, I can get back to feeling back to me, the 2020 me." -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: May 19)

LHP Brad Wieck (left elbow strain)
Expected return: TBD
The Cubs placed Wieck on the injured list on March 17 due to a left elbow strain, which flared during a bullpen session earlier in the week, according to the team. That is a blow to Chicago's bullpen, which hoped to have Wieck available as a possible setup option this season. Last year, Wieck had a 0.00 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 17 innings before a heart issue ended his season prematurely. -- Jordan Bastian (Last updated: March 17)

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