MILWAUKEE – They finally got their best leadoff hitter, their All-Star catcher and their banged-up MVP third baseman all back in the lineup at the same time that last few days.
So what’s the Cubs’ next trick? Seeing how long they can succeed without their best player.
Talk about El Mago.
After another aborted attempt Friday to try to play through a thumb injury, shortstop Javy Baez has been scheduled to have an MRI in Chicago on the left thumb he jammed sliding headfirst into second base during Sunday’s game against the Brewers at Wrigley Field.
“He tried to swing a little bit and still didn’t feel right,” said manager Joe Maddon. “So as opposed to just continually waiting, we just need to find out what we’re dealing with, and that way make him feel better mentally also.”
X-rays were negative immediately after the injury. And Baez said Thursday night he planned to play Friday or Saturday and didn’t think he needed an MRI.
The decision was taken out of his hands.
Maddon said he doesn’t plan to have Baez in the lineup Saturday and wouldn’t speculate on a timeline until the test results evaluated by the medical staff.
The Cubs trailed the Cardinals by 2½ games in the National League Central and held a 3½-game lead over the Diamondbacks for the second wild-card berth entering play Friday.
After this series in Milwaukee, the Cubs have 20 games left.
Already without closer Craig Kimbrel (sore elbow) until at least the end of next week, they can’t be certain how many of those game’s they’ll have with last year’s MVP runner-up in the lineup.
“He’s very important, my goodness,” Maddon said. “He’s been a little bit off of his game offensively and you know he’s going to get back on it. So that’s been in the back of my mind throughout this whole moment for him.”
Despite the way Baez was hurt, Maddon said he’s fine with the headfirst slide.
“He could get hurt sliding feet first, too,” he said. “He could have gotten hurt getting out of his car.
“It’s part of the game. It’s not a bubble. People are going to get hurt.”
