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Though it was unclear Tuesday night what Cody Bellinger’s status will be moving forward, at least the star center fielder was in good spirits after leaving the Cubs’ 7-2 win over the Astros early.
In the top of the fourth, Bellinger leaped toward the wall in left-center to try and catch a ball of Yainer Diaz’s bat. He didn’t come up with it cleanly and it hit the wall, turning a potential inning-ending flyout into a run-scoring double.
The sprouting ivy at Wrigley Field doesn’t provide much of a cushion on the brick wall underneath, and it didn’t take too long for Bellinger to feel the effects of the impact.
“Honestly, didn’t feel much at first,” he said. “As the innings went on, started to get a little more uncomfortable. It was nothing serious. It’s dull. It’s very dull pain even now, which is a good sign. But at first, I didn’t feel anything.”
He did take his at-bat to lead off the bottom of the fifth and still played defense through the top of the sixth, but he was ultimately removed before the top of the seventh with what the Cubs called a “right rib contusion.”
“I think as the game went on, it was just getting a little more uncomfortable,” Bellinger said. “With the game where it was, it was one more at-bat potentially with a few more innings on defense, so just kind of took the safe route.”
X-rays on his ribs were negative, Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. Bellinger himself seemed optimistic postgame, saying he felt fine rotating while swinging, though he noted some discomfort while taking deep breaths. The idea for now is to wait and see how he feels Wednesday before any decisions are made.
“That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Bellinger said. “I’m actually happy with where I’m at right now, post-adrenaline wearing off. In a good spot right now, it feels, and tomorrow morning, going to wake up, see how I feel and we’re going to go from there.”
Of course, Bellinger missing time would be a hit to the Cubs’ lineup.
His first-inning, two-run home run extended his hitting streak to eight games. In those eight contests, Bellinger has posted a 1.112 OPS (raising his season OPS nearly 200 points to .760) with three homers and seven RBIs. When he re-signed with the Cubs, he was confident he could produce like 2023 again, and though he started the year slow, this stretch could be a sign he’s getting back to that level.
So, with Seiya Suzuki already on the shelf with a right oblique strain, losing Bellinger’s middle-of-the-order bat would sting.
All hope wouldn’t be lost, though. When he hit the injured list last May — coincidentally, he was also injured after jumping into a wall against the Astros in Houston — Mike Tauchman came up and provided stability for the Cubs in center field.
He’s continued to prove his value this season, including hitting two opposite-field home runs in Tuesday’s win. After Bellinger departed, Tauchman shifted over to center, and Alexander Canario took over in right. If Bellinger is forced to miss any time, that duo will be relied on to help the Cubs’ stay afloat.
“I try to make myself available for 162-plus [games],” Tauchman said. “Hopefully, [Bellinger is] OK. He’s a huge, huge part of our team, and I think everybody saw this offseason how much we want him here and the impact that he has on our lineup.
“Hopefully, he’s OK. I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk to him or anything. But I show up to the park every day ready to go. Whatever happens, happens. Obviously, Canario’s here, and he’s put some really, really good at-bats together, too. So, he’s going to be out there as well.
“Good teams have depth and good teams have guys step up. That’s what we intend to do.”
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