Chicago Cubs left-hander Jordan Wicks was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday, one day after a right oblique strain forced him out his start against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Wicks left the 3-0 loss in the second inning, walking off the field accompanied by a trainer after giving up a two-out single to Dylan Carlson.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said before Saturday’s game against the Cardinals that the team was still awaiting some test results on Wicks.
Wicks gave up two hits and struck out two in his first start and second appearance since returning from a strained left forearm. He was sidelined for six weeks.
The Cubs recalled right-hander Keegan Thompson from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move. Thompson is 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA in nine relief appearances with the Cubs this year.
The 24-year-old Wicks is 1-2 with a 4.18 ERA in seven games (six starts) with Chicago this season. He was a first-round pick in the 2021 amateur draft out of Kansas State.
With Wicks and Ben Brown sidelined by injuries, Kyle Hendricks likely will return to the rotation. The 34-year-old Hendricks has pitched 8⅔ scoreless innings across three relief appearances this month, but he is 0-4 with a 10.57 ERA in seven starts this season.
Right-hander Yency Almonte is nearing a rehab stint in the minors after he threw live batting practice in Arizona on Friday. The reliever is on the injured list with a shoulder strain.
“We’ve got one more live scheduled that will happen kind of at a place to be determined on Monday or Tuesday,” Counsell said, “and then he will go out for a rehab assignment.”
Caleb Kilian (32 pitches) and Julian Merryweather (26 pitches) each had a bullpen session Friday. Kilian is coming back from a right shoulder strain, and Merryweather is on the injured list with a rib stress fracture.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.