Cubs closer Strop out for rest of regular season

Matt Martell

Special to the Daily Herald

The Cubs left for Washington, D.C. Wednesday night while it was under a state of emergency due to Hurricane Florence. They departed the capital Thursday facing

a crisis of their own. De facto closer Pedro Strop - filling in for the injured Brandon Morrow - suffered a moderate left hamstring strain trying to beat out a double play ball in the 10th inning of the Cubs' 4-3 win over the Nationals.

Strop will miss the remainder of the regular season, the Cubs said Friday, leaving them without their two most reliable back-end relievers as they try to secure their third straight National League Central title.

"The worst part about yesterday is that Stropy got hurt," manager Joe Maddon said Friday before the Cubs' series opener against the Reds at Wrigley Field. "He's been so big for us right now. To be without him for the next couple of weeks is going to be difficult, no question."

Fortunately, perhaps, the Cubs do have a two other relievers with prior experience - right-hander Steve Cishek and lefty Justin Wilson.

Additionally, Morrow is expected to be back on the mound for the Cubs by the end of next week, though he probably won't be ready to handle a closer's usual workload upon

his return from the disabled list. He is scheduled to pitch a simulated game on Saturday.

Still, a veteran reliever like Morrow, who has been as good as any this season when healthy, could only help the Cubs in their remaining 15 regular season games.

"We have arms," reliever Carl Edwards Jr. said. "Morrow went down, Strop stepped up. Now Strop went down, it's time for somebody else to step up. That's just how the game

goes."

The Cubs don't plan on using one specific closer in Strop's absence. Instead, Maddon said they will rely on favorable matchups, and if one pitch

er emerges as the best option to close games, then that's who will do the job.

It's similar to what they did with Strop when Morrow went down. Strop was never actually named the new Cubs closer, but he did so well in the role that Maddon just kept

putting him out there.

Strop is 6-1 with a 2.26 ERA and 13 saves in 59⅔ innings this season.

Schwarber close to return:

Kyle Schwarber, who has been out with a back injury for a week, went through outfield drills before Friday's game.

Maddon said the left fielder is doing a lot better and is close to getting back in the lineup.

"He's still not 100 percent comfortable fielding grounded balls yet," Maddon said. "But overall, (he's) feeling a lot better."

Update on Heyward:

Jason Heyward ran the bases and also went through outfield drills on Friday.

Maddon said Heyward is feeling "pretty good about himself right now" and that the right fielder could be activated from the DL next week "if everything breaks well."