PHILADELPHIA -- After he lined a third-inning fastball to the left-field wall, Jorge Soler slowed up as he reached first base and settled for a single.
Solar exited Monday's 6-4 win over the Phillies, having injured his left hamstring on the play. He walked off the field without any apparent limp but will undergo an MRI. The Cubs will know the severity of the injury Tuesday, after the MRI.
"Once I heard hammy running down to first base, I said, 'Yeah, OK, let's go, you're done,'" Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "There's nothing to debate there. Hamstrings are nasty and he's had a history, so let's get him out of there."
Matt Szczur entered the game as a pinch-runner and took over for Soler in left field. In front of his hometown crowd in Philadelphia, Szczur went 0-for-2 but bunted Kris Bryant home in the seventh inning.
Although he's been relatively healthy in his Major League career, Soler has previously dealt with hamstring issues in the minors. He missed about two months in 2014 due to injuries in both hamstrings.
"Hammies, once you do that, it's something that really does follow, hopefully not to a severe degree," Maddon said. "I was a really good hamstring puller. I was one of the best. So I know what it feels like, and I know what the recovery's like. It's more painful than breaking something."
The 24-year-old outfielder had struggled at the plate this season, hitting .223. He was 2-for-2 with a couple singles prior to his exit Monday.
If the hamstring results in a DL stint for Soler, Maddon said outfield prospect Albert Almora would be a candidate to replace him. The Cubs manager clarified he'll take the advice of his Minor League coordinators on the decision, should it be necessary. Almora is hitting .322 with Triple-A Iowa.
Another candidate could be Matt Murton, who hasn't played in the Majors since 2009 but is hitting .324 in Triple-A.