Chicago Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood left Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning with left elbow discomfort and will be re-evaluated by doctors on Monday, according to manager David Ross.
“We’ll get him looked at,” Ross said after the Cubs 10-1 win. “He felt something on the breaking ball then threw the next pitch, a short, spiked changeup and he called us out right away.”
Chatwood previously spent time on the injured list with back tightness and now has the elbow problem. Lefty Jose Quintana pitched three innings in relief, striking out six and is the likely candidate to replace Chatwood in the rotation, if needed. Quintana is a career starter who just returned from the injured list himself.
“I felt sharp today,” he said. “I feel ready to be back in whatever spot I can help my team.”
Before the game, in which all three Cubs outfielders hit two home runs, the Cubs acquired another outfielder/designated hitter in Jose Martinez, formerly of the Tampa Bay Rays. Martinez will likely be the designated hitter for the Cubs against left-handed pitching. The Cubs rank 23rd in OPS against lefties this season.
“He’s hit his entire career and we do have a DH (spot) that makes some sense,” Ross said. “He has hit lefties. That will be a big help for us. You see him to come to the plate and you feel like he’s going to have a good at-bat.”
The Cubs also picked up veteran reliever A.J. Ramos after he asked for his release from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. Ramos, 33, is a former All-Star with the Marlins who hasn’t pitched since 2018 due to arm problems. The Cubs could use help in the bullpen where they’ve compiled a 5.42 ERA.
“The changeup is as good as it gets,” Ross said of Ramos. “Kind of like a left-handed curveball. He’s a guy that’s been in the back end of the ‘pen. The moment won’t be too big for him.”