Major update on Shota Imanaga's injury dropped by Cubs manager

The Chicago Cubs will be without their ace, Shota Imanaga, for two weeks after the Japanese hurler was placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday. Cubs manager Craig Counsell shared an update on Imanaga's hamstring injury.

Imanaga, who has been leading the rotation that is already without Justin Steele and Javier Assad, strained his hamstring in the game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. He suffered the injury trying to cover first base in the 4-0 loss.

The Japanese left-hander reportedly went for scans on Monday and manager Craig Counsell gave an update on the results of the imaging after the 9-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

“He’s presenting to the doctor like with a very mild hamstring strain,” manager Craig Counsell said. “So that makes us optimistic. I think it’s probable we’re going to be past two weeks here, because we’re going to be cautious and make sure that he’s back to 100%. But, all in all, pretty good news."

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Following Shota Imanaga's injury, the Cubs have recalled Gavin Hollowell from Triple-A Iowa. Hollowell was in the lineup for the game against the Giants and he pitched two scoreless innings, conceding one hit with one strikeout.

Cubs manager is not taking any chances with Shota Imanaga's injury

The Cubs have made a solid start to the season and lead the NL Central with a 22-14 record. Chicago is expected to be in the run for the playoffs after the flying start and manager Craig Counsell wants Shota Imanaga at his best when he returns.

“The most important thing with that kind of injury,” Hoyer said, “is to get him back and healthy for the remainder of the season, not just to get him back. You talk about returning to play, versus returning to your previous form. That’s the most important thing, and it may take some time to get there.”

Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer said he will discuss a potential addition to the rotation with Counsell. While Hoyer could look to trade ace, he also hinted at potential internal solutions, with their top pitching prospect Cade Horton being an option.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash