SAN FRANCISCO _ Kyle Hendricks acknowledged the Cubs' dugout suddenly got quiet Wednesday after Willson Contreras grabbed his right hamstring before falling to the ground.
As Contreras slowly walked off the field with the help of a trainer and coach, the Cubs realized they must regroup at a crucial juncture in the season.
A 3-1 loss to the lowly Giants _ the Cubs' sixth loss in their past eight games _ took a backseat to the suspense surrounding the potential severity of Contreras' leg injury.
Contreras, 25, who is batting .270 with 21 home runs and 70 RBIs and is a defensive force in his first full season at catcher, will undergo an MRI Thursday with the results to be revealed publicly before they meet the Diamondbacks.
"We know how he's feeling," Hendricks said. "We feel bad for him. He's a guy who works hard and does everything the right way. To have something like that happen, it just sucks."
Because Contreras barely could put pressure on his leg and the stress the position puts on his legs, the Cubs were bracing themselves for life without their most valuable player for an extended period.
"If I had to guess, I would definitely guess he would be a DL candidate," manager Joe Maddon said. "But we'll wait and see when the actual results come in."
Newly-acquired veteran Alex Avila is expected to take over the majority of the catching duties, with switch-hitting rookie Victor Caratini likely to be called up from Triple-A Iowa.
The Cubs are likely to take a conservative approach with Contreras, who could be sidelined for at least a month if the MRI reveals a substantial tear.
Contreras declined to talk to reporters afterward, but Anthony Rizzo reported Contreras was in good spirits, adding that he said he has suffered hamstring injuries worse than this.
Contreras suffered a left hamstring pull in the Arizona Fall League in 2015 while running to first base and missed the final two weeks.
"(However), when you see someone grab like that, it's not very good," Rizzo said. "But you never know."
The loss of Contreras will force the Cubs to be resourceful as they were in the second part of June when Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward and Hendricks were sidelined with injuries. Contreras has provided stability in the middle of the order as he's hitting .305 with 13 home runs and 35 RBIs batting cleanup.
Maddon thought the injury could provide a galvanizing effect on the roster, while Rizzo espoused a realistic assessment.
"What can you do?" Rizzo said. "It's part of the game, you have to get ready for it. You don't want (to lose) someone in the middle of the order, especially with the year he has had.
"It's upsetting for him and for us, but we have to keep playing."
Contreras has thrown out 17 would-be base stealers in 66 attempts and he has picked off five baserunners. That latter stat will loom large because left-hander Jon Lester has made a seamless transition working with Contreras after his personal catcher, David Ross, retired last season.
The addition of Avila has allowed Maddon to play Contreras in the outfield and at first base to keep his bat in the lineup.
"He has been carrying us," Maddon said. "Any kind of offensive resurgence we've had is primarily centered around him and his contributions."
