Cubs Fans Breathe Easy After Injury Update on Budding Star

Hearts in the North Side of Chicago skipped a beat on March 3 with word that Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was held out that day’s game due to tightness in his right hamstring. 

First reports of the situation – such as the post to X (formerly Twitter) by Bruce Levine, who covers the Cubs for 670 The Score – generated much hand wringing among the team’s fans, with comments such as “Yeah the season is genuinely over” and “This team is cursed” among the cleaner variations suitable for printing. Which is somewhat understandable, given Crow-Armstrong’s importance to the Cubs as their center fielder and potential leadoff batter. 

So the wind whipping off of Lake Michigan on the morning of March 4 was secondary to the collective sigh of relief after the follow-up post from Levine. 

“Cubs Pete Crow Armstrong said he’s all good to play today,” the post read. “He said he felt a bit of something in his right hamstring yesterday and the staff convinced him to take the day off. ‘If it was just up to me, I would have played’ he said.” 

Pete Crow-Armstrong Held Out of Lineup Over Hamstring Tightness

GettyChicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong stole 27 bases last season, which ranked 13th in the National League.

Given the unpredictable nature of soft tissue injuries, the Cubs might be wise to hold Crow-Armstrong back for another day or two. A precautionary approach for a player like Crow-Armstrong who relies heavily on his speed wouldn’t be the worst decision. 

Not to mention the overall importance of Crow-Armstrong to the Cubs, who have high hopes for the 2025 season. In fact, PECOTA projections for the upcoming campaign have Chicago with the fifth best percentage to win the World Series this year at 7.1%, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers (20.7%), Atlanta Braves (9.7%), New York Yankees (9.0%) and Baltimore Orioles (8.2%). 

Those chances would be undoubtedly impacted if Crow-Armstrong were to miss a significant amount of time.  

The numbers from his rookie season in the Major Leagues weren’t particularly overwhelming, as he finished with a slash line of .237/.286/.670, with 10 home runs, 47 RBI and 27 stolen bases. However, Crow-Armstrong flashed the defensive skills that have many predicting he will be a multiple Gold Glove winner, and over the last two months of the 2024 season, after making a slight change to his batting approach in late July, he showed his offensive potential as well, boasting a 2.2 WAR from that point on, which ranked19th in the league over that stretch. 

“I’d still feel like I have that in the tank,” Crow-Armstrong said about getting that type of production over a full season. “It would just be more of a thought like, ‘This year is the year.’ But I’m aware that I can put something really good together.” 

Chicago Cubs Teammates Rave About Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Potential

*GettyOutfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong flashed the defensive skills last season that have many predicting he will be a Gold Glove winner.

His teammates are aware of that potential as well, and Crow-Armstrong had gotten off to a hot start in spring training, with 7 hits in his first 14 at bats, including a home run and 4 RBI. 

“He has the ability to impact the game in a bunch of different ways,” Ian Happ said to The Athletic. “That’s what makes him special. Being more consistent on offense, he knows that’s the difference. He’s worked all offseason on the little things that get you there.” 

Which has raised the suggestion that the Cubs should approach Crow-Armstrong to sign an extension, although he feels such talk is a bit premature. 

“I still gotta go get a full 162 to really deserve that,” Crow-Armstrong said. “But I’m always open to that conversation with them. They’re really good at being straightforward with us, with me at least. That’s been my experience with (team president Jed Hoyer) and (GM Carter Hawkins). I’m gonna leave it up to them. I still gotta prove a little bit more in my eyes.” 

According to Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, that is just a matter of time. 

“He’s a guy that wants to get better,” Swanson said. “He’s got that competitive, internal drive. He really is capable of doing anything he wants. He’s got that kind of ability. I think people saw a little bit of it at times. So much of it is him coming into his own. The mental component is a huge part of it. He has all the physical tools and the mental piece is something that will come with it. If I know anything about Pete, if he sets out to do it, he’ll be able to do it.” 

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