The Chicago Cubs have emerged as one of Major League Baseball’s top teams this season, jumping out to a 21-14 record and holding a three-game advantage in the National League Central.
A great start with one caveat
This impressive start looks even more remarkable considering the level of competition the Cubs have faced early on. Their March and April slate was the toughest any team will endure all season, based on last year’s winning percentages. Even so, Chicago finished April with an 18-13 record and has started May strong, going 3-1.
The driving force behind the Cubs’ early dominance has undoubtedly been their offense, which ranks among the best in the league. They currently lead MLB in batting average (.262), runs scored (208), stolen bases (45), and total hits (323).
Breakout performances from Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Carson Kelly, and a surging Seiya Suzuki—who’s beginning to reach his full potential at the plate—have fueled the offensive firepower.
However, despite all their success at the plate, the Cubs face a glaring issue: their starting rotation.
Injuries in the rotation
Following Justin Steele’s season-ending injury earlier this year, the Cubs’ pitching staff has had to piece things together with spot starts from relievers. Despite losing arguably their ace, the rotation has stepped up, managing a 3.44 ERA—fifth-best in the majors.
However, things just got more difficult with a potential injury to standout pitcher Shota Imanaga.
After the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell gave an update on Imanaga’s status.
“It happened when he was running over to first base,” Counsell explained. “We’ll likely do some imaging to find out what’s going on. He’s never experienced a lower body muscle strain before, so he’s not exactly sure what he’s feeling, but he definitely felt something. We’ll evaluate it tomorrow and go from there.”
Imanaga tweaked his hamstring while sprinting to cover first base on an infield hit. Notably, he also exited his previous start due to a hamstring issue, though that instance appeared much less concerning and was initially attributed to fatigue or dehydration. In hindsight, however, that minor issue may have been an early warning sign of a more significant hamstring injury.
Imanaga logged 173.1 innings across 29 starts for Chicago last season, showing no signs of durability concerns at the time.
What’s next for Chicago after Shota’s injury?
Although there’s no official timeline yet, Cubs fans should anticipate Imanaga missing at least a few starts. For comparison, Steele was sidelined for about a month with a similar injury last year, so a similar recovery period is likely. On the bright side, this type of injury is far less concerning for his long-term outlook than issues involving the arm or shoulder. That said, if not properly managed, it could derail his season quickly.
In the meantime, Chicago’s offense will need to maintain its strong performance as they gear up for upcoming series against the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, and Cincinnati Reds.