Cubs place struggling Arrieta on IL with hamstring tightness
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta delivers the ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on April 03, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images / Getty Images)
CHICAGO - The Cubs placed struggling right-hander Jake Arrieta on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with right hamstring tightness and recalled righty Cory Abbott from Triple-A Iowa.
In a 15-10 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday, Arrieta matched the second-shortest start of his big league career, lasting just 1 2/3 innings for his second straight outing. He gave up seven runs, tying a season high, and six hits after getting hit hard in Chicago’s 15-7 loss at Milwaukee last week.
The 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner is 0-5 with a 9.67 ERA in eight starts since winning at Pittsburgh on May 25. For the season, Arrieta is 5-9 with a 6.30 ERA in 17 starts.
Chicago manager David Ross said Wednesday that a stint on the IL will give the 35-year-old Arrieta a chance to address the hamstring issue that has been bothering him since late May.
"I think he thinks he’s fine, but something’s going on with the way he’s pitching," Ross said. "I think it’s best if we just take care of that and make sure that thing is not some of the cause of what’s going on with him. So just giving time to fully recover."
Arrieta, one of the stars as the Cubs won the 2016 World Series, insisted after Tuesday’s game he isn’t finished.
"The stuff is too good," he said. "I still have a lot left in the tank, there’s no question about that. The stuff plays. The execution’s not there. It hasn’t been for awhile. But I’ve been in similar situations in my career. I’ve been in worse situations than this."
The 25-year-old Abbott returns for this third stint with the Cubs this season. He is 0-0 with a 4.32 ERA in four relief appearances after making his major league debut June 5 in San Francisco.
In eight starts for Iowa this season, Abbott is 1-3 with a 5.88 ERA.