Cubs manager Craig Counsell thinks the early part of the season is dangerous for pitchers.
John Antonoff/For the Sun-Times
Unfortunately, one of the biggest storylines early in the 2024 season has been the rash of pitchers suffering significant elbow injuries. The Guardians’ Shane Bieber and the Marlins’ Eury Perez are undergoing Tommy John surgery, and there’s concern over the Braves’ Spencer Strider.
Before Sunday’s game with the Dodgers, Cubs manager Craig Counsell was asked about the outbreak, and stressed the importance of being careful with pitchers at this stage of the year.
“My take has always been: the early part of the season’s a dangerous time for pitchers, period. No matter what,” Counsell said. “We take care of them in spring training and then games matter. The weather’s different and conditions are different. I don’t know if I know how to explain injury trends.”
Theories are rampant about why pitchers are getting hurt. One idea is that pitchers’ efforts to throw harder and harder is part of the problem.
Counsell isn’t so sure whether that’s the cause.
“Pitchers are going to pursue things that make them get hitters out, and velocity is one of them,” Counsell said. “I don’t think the pursuit of velocity is ever going to end because it’s something that makes pitchers better. I don’t think we should demonize the pursuit of velocity. If there is a problem, I don’t think that’s the issue.”
On Saturday, Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, released a statement blaming the shorter pitch clock implemented in December, a season after it was introduced.
“Since then, our concerns about the health impacts of reduced recovery time have only intensified,” Clark said. “The league’s unwillingness thus far to acknowledge or study the effects of these profound changes is an unprecedented threat to our game and its most valuable asset – the players.”
Happ up top
Ian Happ led off for the seventh time Sunday, which is five games more than he hit in that spot in 2023. His high on-base percentage (.360 last year, .474 entering Sunday) is just one reason Counsell has placed Happ at the top of the lineup.
“He’s going to hit a lot in that spot. He’s going to hit more than anybody on the team, theoretically, every day,” Counsell said. “His set of skills and how we can build that around him, can enhance what he’s good at.”
Happ spent most of last season in the No. 3 spot, hitting there in 127 games for former manager David Ross.
Injury updates
Jameson Taillon (back strain) is scheduled to pitch Sunday for Double-A Tennessee. In the second season of a four-year, $68 million contract, Taillon was placed on the injured list March 28 (retroactive to March 25).
Meanwhile, Patrick Wisdom (back strain) is scheduled to serve as the designated hitter for Triple-A Iowa. On Saturday, Wisdom played five innings at third base and had three at-bats. Like Taillon, Wisdom was placed on the IL on March 28, retroactive to March 25.
Just before game time, reliever Julian Merryweather was placed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain, retroactive to April 6. Daniel Palencia was recalled from Triple-A Iowa to replace Merryweather.