Cubs place Heyward on IL, bring back Martini
The Cubs placed right fielder Jason Heyward on the injured list before Thursday's game with a left hamstring strain. They brought back outfielder Nick Martini from Triple A Iowa.
Heyward left during Wednesday's game, so this wasn't a huge surprise. Anthony Rizzo was back in the lineup Thursday after he left a game with back tightness two days earlier, then sat out Wednesday.
The Cubs have had bad luck with hamstrings this season. Outfielder Jake Marisnick is already on the injured list with a hamstring strain, Javy Baez missed a couple games with hamstring tightness and then pitcher Justin Steele left Thursday's game before the start of the seventh inning with left hamstring tightness.
"Hamstrings are always iffy, but (Heyward's injury) seems to be on the milder side," manager David Ross said.
Martini, a graduate of Prairie Ridge High School, started in right field Thursday, producing a walk, a run and an RBI on a sacrifice fly.
Taking the bag
David Ross had a good laugh about Washington manager Davey Martinez pulling first base out of the ground and slamming it to the turf during Wednesday's game after a runner's interference call. Martinez was the Cubs' bench coach for a few years under Joe Maddon, so the opposing managers know each other well.
"That was pretty good," Ross said. "That was a topic of conversation after the game for sure. I'm glad he got the base up. If he wouldn't have been able to get the base out of the ground, that would have been embarrassing.
"So I was thinking about, 'Man, I don't know that I would have been able to get the base out.' That's kind of how I was watching it. He looked pretty upset. I think he's got some history with that rule that probably sets him off a little more than others."
Ross is referring to a controversial runner's interference call in Game 6 of the 2019 World Series. Coincidentally, both that play and the one Wednesday at Wrigley Field involved Nationals shortstop Trea Turner.
"Probably one of the better ones I've seen as an opposing manager, that's for sure," Ross said. "That was good. Sending over the base a little later for him."
Vargas joins Pirates
Cubs infielder Ildemaro Vargas was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh and made his Pirates debut Wednesday with an RBI single in St. Louis.