Talk about all hands on deck for the big Cardinals series.
On Thursday that included the broken ones – and even included the shocking return to the lineup of Anthony Rizzo, just four days after suffering what appeared to be a season-ending ankle sprain.
Whether Rizzo and the Cubs were sand-bagging the Cardinals all week with the dire prognosis, Rizzo’s sudden return at this critical, crossroads moment in the season at least injected a shot of energy into an already electric Wrigley Field.
By the time he hit a tying home run in the third inning, Rizzo’s comeback shocker was being compared by the more elderly members of the media to Willis Reed’s 1970 heroics for the Knicks (look it up).
Rizzo, who got an MRI and a cortisone shot in the joint Monday, was originally ordered to remain in a walking boot until at least the end of the weekend, and spent the past several days cruising the halls in and around Wrigley Field on a walking knee scooter – equipped with a handlebar basket, bell and horn.
But team officials said Thursday that once it was determined the ankle was structurally sound enough to withstand activity (while heavily taped), Rizzo’s playing status became a matter of pain tolerance.
Less than an hour before Thursday’s series opener against the Cardinals, Rizzo was unveiled as a late addition to the lineup, leading off.
He got a rousing ovation from the crowd as he stepped into the box for his first at-bat of the game (before striking out), then delivered the third-inning shot to left on a two-out, first-pitch line drive.
Earlier in the day, the Cubs also said that shortstop Javy Baez – who is sidelined with a fractured left thumb – was available as a pinch-runner, with a heavy protective “oven mitt”-like glove on the hand.
The Cubs also activated closer Craig Kimbrel (elbow) and infielder Addison Russell (concussion injured list) before the game.
“Listen, all these guys want in there,” manager Joe Maddon said. “They all want to be out there. It’s hard to imagine what they’re going to be able to do after an injury, but we’ll find out.”
Baez, ruled out for the rest of the regular season after an MRI revealed his Sept. 1 injury as a hairline fracture, was hurt on a slide into second base.
Maddon said before the game he was fine with using Baez if needed as a late-inning runner.
“The oven mitt should be really helpful,” said Maddon, who joked it “also provides the potential for being safer – getting there a little bit sooner.”
Hamels scratched from start; Mills to start
Amid all the returns and upbeat health news was the news that left-hander Cole Hamels was scratched from Saturday’s start against the Cardinals because of “shoulder fatigue.”
Jose Quintana, who has tended to benefit from extra rest, will slide from Friday to cover Hamels’ spot, with Alec Mills coming out of the bullpen to start Friday against the Cardinals.
Hamels has struggled since missing July with an oblique injury, including Monday’s start in which he was pulled in the fourth inning. For now the Cubs say they anticipate Hamels will pitch once more during next week’s season-ending trip to Pittsburgh and St. Louis.
But Maddon said nobody’s sure of when – or even if it’ll happen.
“It could be the rest of the season that he doesn’t feel good and then all of a sudden he could feel good in two or three days,” the manager said. “I don’t know yet.”
