The Chicago Cubs’ season has been difficult even though it began so brightly.
They had been suffering with a plethora of injuries since the beginning of the season, but they were still in the running for the NL Central crown and appeared to be headed for their first postseason appearance since 2020.
Presently, they hold the third-worst record in the National League and are positioned last in their division.
Their inability to sustain a lead once their offense puts the Cubs ahead is a major contributing factor to many of their problems.
Only 1.5 games separate them from the third Wild Card place, so if this team is serious about competing for a postseason berth, they need to revamp their
personnel for relief before the trade deadline.
However, Chicago faces another issue while they work out the front office: standout outfielder Mike Tauchman departed the game early on June 17 and was later diagnosed with a Grade 2 left groin strain.
According to Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune, manager Craig Counsell stated that “he’s going to miss significant time”. If all goes according to plan for his recuperation, this should mend in around four weeks.
Tauchman played for the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO for two years before signing with the Cubs. The previous season, after being promoted from Triple-A, he really lit up Chicago with his hitting.With eight home runs, 26 extra-base hits, and 48 RBI, he posted a 102 OPS+ at 252/.363/.377.
With five home runs, 19 RBI, and a slash line of.259/.359/.382 through 66 games, the veteran was having another excellent season.
The Cubs will now have to contend with yet another serious ailment.
The good news is that they have a wide selection of options in their outfield group, including Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, and Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Even yet, this is just another setback for a team that is desperately trying to survive and is losing ground on a daily basis in the hopes of making the playoffs.
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