MILWAUKEE – Cubs third baseman Nick Madrigal wanted to stay in after he first felt the tug in his hamstring racing after a foul ball that landed out of play. But when he felt it “grab” again, he knew better than to push it.
“I’ve played through a lot of that,” he said after the Cubs’ 8-6 loss to the Brewers on Monday. “And so I was trying to get ahead of it.”
Madrigal left the series opener in the fourth inning with a tight right hamstring, the same one he had surgically repaired two years ago. He described the move as “precautionary,” but also said he’d have to have more conversation with the Cubs medical staff before they determined how much rest and treatment he’d need before returning.
“Luckily, we do have the four days of the All-Star break [next week] to get it right,” he said, “but I would like to be in there, hopefully, in the next couple days. We’ll see what the game plan looks like.”
Manager David Ross said Patrick Wisdom will “definitely be in the conversation,” as the team maps out that plan. Wisdom has been on the injured list with a sprained right wrist for the past couple weeks and had already played three rehab games entering Monday.
Madrigal, who was still recovering from hamstring surgery when the Cubs traded for him midway through the 2021 season, has battled injury for much of his tenure on the North side.
“I’ve definitely learned a lot about my body,” he said, “what to push through, what to not push through.”
This season, he’s finally felt more like his pre-injury self. And that has been evident at the plate in recent weeks. Since the Cubs recalled Madrigal on June 9, he’s hit .328 and even logged his first home run as a Cub over the weekend.
On Monday, he drove a two-run double into the left-field corner in the third inning, as part of a three-run rally that put the Cubs up by six.
The next inning, the Brewers’ Brice Turang fouled a first-pitch curveball to the third-base side. Madrigal chased after it and felt discomfort in his hamstring before he ran into the wall. Two pitches later, Turang hit another popup in foul territory, but this one was playable.
The Brewers lineup turned over, and Ross pulled starter Drew Smyly. Then, Madrigal headed for the dugout.
“I’ve been feeling some calf tightness the last couple of weeks,” Madrigal said. “And I think it stems off the same kind of lines.”
He suspects the Cubs’ physically taxing schedule – which included a trip to London, smoke-engulfed games, and rain delays in that time – played a part.
“Everyone’s feeling it a little bit,” Madrigal said. “So, I think my body was just not very happy today.”
In other injury news
Right-hander Adrian Sampson (right meniscus injury) is set to move his rehab assignment to Triple-A, after making two appearances in the Arizona Complex League. He’s scheduled to throw for Iowa on Tuesday.
