Cubs left-hander Luke Little was positioned on the injured listing with a left shoulder pressure previous to the All-Star break final week, and at present supervisor Craig Counsell instructed reporters (together with Patrick Mooney of The Athletic) that the harm is “seemingly” to finish the teen’s season.
It’s a brutal growth for the 23-year-old rookie, who has typically seemed glorious since making his debut with the membership again in September of final yr. Chicago’s fourth-round choose from the 2020 draft, Little has posted a 2.76 ERA (158 ERA+) with a 3.61 FIP in 32 2/3 innings of labor on the huge league degree up to now in his younger profession and has flashed the form of high-end expertise that would make him a possible excessive leverage arm for the Cubs sooner or later.
The arduous throwing lefty averages greater than 96mph on his fastball and has struck out a robust 28.8% of batters confronted within the majors to date, however has up to now been held again by management points. Little has walked an extreme 15.8% of opponents up to now in his profession, together with 16.5% this season. Whereas his capability to keep away from giving up homers (he’s allowed only one in his profession up to now) has allowed him to submit robust outcomes despite that lack of management, his 4.29 xFIP and 4.19 SIERA each counsel that his present manufacturing isn’t completely sustainable except he can curtail his wildness.
Even with these potential pink flags in his profile, the lack of Little remains to be a devastating blow for the Cubs. Chicago’s bullpen has been shaky all season on account of accidents to their major high-leverage duo of Adbert Alzolay and Julian Merryweather, which compelled the likes of Hector Neris and Mark Leiter Jr. into extra distinguished roles. Whereas robust performances from inner children like Little and Porter Hodge in addition to savvy exterior pickups like Tyson Miller and Jorge Lopez have helped to regular the Chicago aid corps’s manufacturing in current weeks, solely the Rockies and White Sox have blown extra saves than the Cubs’ 18.
The information concerning Little figures to additional tax a bullpen that additionally misplaced right-hander Hayden Wesneski to the 15-day injured listing at present, though Counsell instructed reporters (together with Mooney) that the membership believes that Wesneski’s forearm problem shouldn’t be severe and that he’ll be again on the mound in Chicago pretty shortly. The righty has pitched essential innings for the Cubs whereas swinging between the bullpen and the rotation this yr and sports activities a 3.96 ERA (albeit with a lackluster 4.72 FIP) throughout 61 2/3 innings of labor this season.
The continued stacking of bullpen accidents makes the aid corps an apparent place for enchancment forward of the commerce deadline on July 30, however the Cubs haven’t made their plans for this deadline clear and entered at present with a 47-53 document that locations them useless final within the NL Central and 4.5 video games out of an NL Wild Card spot. Ought to the Cubs choose to face pat and even promote short-term belongings corresponding to Neris and veteran lefty Drew Smyly, the membership shall be left to hope that the likes of Merryweather and Alzolay can return wholesome later this yr and supply a lift whereas children corresponding to Hodge and Hunter Bigge step as much as deal with significant innings.
