This homestand is wreaking havoc on Chicago Cubs outfielders.
It started Tuesday when right fielder Kyle Tucker developed tightness in his left calf, and he has not been back in a game.
The pain continued Saturday when center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong fouled a ball of his right knee in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field.
X-rays were negative, and the Cubs are calling it a bruise. But, like Tucker, Crow-Armstrong is now a member in the “day to day” club.
“It just hurts — that’s about it,” Crow-Armstrong said after the game. “We’ll see how I feel (Sunday).”
Crow-Armstrong fouled the pitch off of his right leg in the bottom of the sixth. He limped down the third-base line and then went to his knees. After a few minutes he jogged down the first-base line and felt fit enough to stay in the game.
He was back in the batter’s box and drew a walk. He ran hard and made a headfirst slide during Nico Horner’s groundout to end the inning and limped off the field toward the dugout. He was replaced by Kevin Alcántara in center in the top of the seventh.
“It was one of those moments where I was weighing my options,” Crow-Armstrong said of leaving the game. “I’m no use, really, out there if I’m not moving the way I should be. So, I felt that our best chance is not having me move around out there.”
He couldn’t gauge his recovery based on past injuries.
“I’ve never fouled a ball straight off my kneecap before,” he said. “It’s new pain. There’s definitely (stuff) that’s hurt worse. This hurts.
“And the legs are just funny. That’s how I help the cause on a daily basis — with my legs. It was a good stinger for sure.”
Manager Craig Counsell is taking a wait-and-see approach.
“He’s pretty sore, so it’s day to day,” he said.
A crowd of 38,011 watched the Cubs (81-61) scratch out only three hits but receive a generous seven walks from Nationals pitchers. They hit into three double plays to help kill rallies.
Left-hander Matt Boyd (12-8) took the loss, giving up two runs on seven hits in seven innings and made team history when he picked off Brady House in the second inning and CJ Abrams in the fifth. He has 10 pickoffs in 2025, a Cubs record since pickoffs were recorded starting in 1901. The major-league record is 23 by the Toronto Blue Jays’ Jerry Garvin in 1977. The Philadelphia Phillies’ Steve Carlton owns the National League record with 19, also in 1977.
“It’s awesome whenever you can get an out inside the margins, if you will,” Boyd said. “It’s a bonus. It’s a bonus to limit the running game when you have that weapon to potentially steal an out. That’s always welcomed.”
Boyd’s first three pitches of the game resulted in a CJ Abrams double and singles from James Wood and Jorge Alfaro. By the time Boyd threw his eighth offering, a run was in and the bases were loaded, but he got out of it striking out Dylan Crews and inducing Nasim Nunez to ground into a forceout.
“He pitched well,” Counsell said of Boyd. “They jumped him and got three hits in the first three pitches in the game. I thought he got it together and didn’t get shook by it and gave us seven strong innings.”
Rookie Daylen Lile homered off Boyd in the fourth to provide the winning run for the Nationals (57-84).
The Cubs’ lone run came in the second, when Crow-Armstrong raced home on a Carson Kelly groundout to third.
Counsell announced after the game that reliever Drew Pomeranz would open Sunday’s series finale.
Injury report
Tucker missed his fourth straight game with the left calf injury but was not put on the injured list. Top prospect Owen Caisse was scratched from the lineup Friday night at Triple-A Iowa and was on call for a return to the majors if Tucker needed IL time.
Counsell said the team was going to ride it out with Tucker after a better report Saturday morning.
“We had improvement today,” Counsell said. “We’re just going to treat it as day to day and see where that gets us. We think we have time to let this heal without putting him on the injured list. We think he will be ready before what an injured list would cost him.
“Having the extra player in September, we’re not playing short. I don’t feel that from a roster perspective it hurts us at all.”
Tucker is not expected to be in the lineup in Sunday’s series finale against the Nationals, but Counsell is hoping he will be available off the bench.
Meanwhile, things are looking up for two pitchers on the injured list.
Mike Soroka, who is battling a right shoulder strain, threw to hitters before Saturday’s game. Counsell said Soroka’s velocity is up and if he recovers well, he will pitch Wednesday for Iowa.
Right-hander Jameson Taillon (left groin strain) should pick up a start during the week, but Counsell didn’t specify which day.
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.