Cubs Place Closer Craig Kimbrel on 10-Day IL With Right Elbow Inflammation
By Jerry Trotta
Well, this is the last news that the Chicago Cubs wanted to hear in the midst of a tightly-packed NL Wild Card race.
Per ESPN's Jesse Rogers, closer Craig Kimbrel has landed on the 10-day injured list with what is being reported as right elbow inflammation.
Breaking: Kimbrel goes on the IL.
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) September 5, 2019
Could the seven-time All-Star's palpable woes in 2019 be correlated to the injury? In 21 appearances for the Cubbies, Kimbrel has logged a heinous 5.68 ERA while striking out 26 batters across 19 innings.
Theo Epstein announces Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel is going on the injured list with right elbow inflammation.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) September 5, 2019
Further, and perhaps more concerning, the 31-year-old right-hander has personified the vital flaw that essentially persuaded the Boston Red Sox to move on after their 2018 World Series campaign -- struggling to find the strike zone.
Kimbrel back on the IL. In 21 games, he has a 5.68 ERA for the #Cubs. https://t.co/f6GxQ3gQT2
— Kelsey Wingert (@KelsWingert) September 5, 2019
Today's report marks the second time that Kimbrel has landed on the IL since being promoted from Triple-A on June 27. There's no doubting that Chicago taking a chance on the former stud reliever was an audacious move at best, and the transaction has done anything but work out thus far.
Perhaps time away from the diamond will be enough to get his mind right so that he can assist the Cubs' push to get back into the postseason.