MESA, Ariz. – Cubs reliever Pedro Strop walked into work Wednesday morning without a limp and with his trademark smile intact.
“It’s not a long deal. I just felt a little tightness in there,” said Strop, who suffered a “mild” right hamstring strain on his final pitch Saturday against the Angels. “Right now it’s just about preventing a major injury.
“I think I’ll be ready for Day 1, 100 percent.”
That’s especially significant for a team looking to fill the ninth-inning with a mix of backups for at least the first month of the season as Brandon Morrow continues working on his return from offseason elbow surgery.
Strop, whose MRI on Monday showed a “barely noticeable” strain, according to manager Joe Maddon, participated in pre-workout stretch exercises with the team and played catch Wednesday. Strop finished last season sidelined with a strain in the other hamstring.
The team is optimistic he could return to a bullpen mound by the end of the week.
But the season opens just two weeks from Thursday, offering precious few games for Strop to pitch once he’s done with a brief rehab process.
“As of right now I don’t see any concern,” said Strop, who has appeared in two games this spring. “Knowing I can be able to pitch only three or four appearances in spring training [and be ready], because I’ve done it before, gives me even more confidence to chill out and make sure this isn’t an issue for the season.”
A calf strain last spring limited Strop to three spring innings. But he started on time and produced his best ERA (2.26) in four seasons, eventually filling in for the injured Morrow the second half of the season and earning 13 saves.
So how sure is he he’ll be fully functional on March 28 in Texas? “I would say 99.9 percent as of right now,” Strop said. “I feel good. Obviously there’s something in there. But it’s not going to keep me sidelined from Day 1.”
