MESA, Ariz. – Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was set to be back in the lineup Tuesday against the Padres, after being scratched the day before with a tight right hamstring.
“It was a collaboration to get me to make a mature decision on where we’re at in the year, not pushing anything,” Crow-Armstrong said Tuesday morning. “And it was completely precautionary and nothing too noteworthy.”
He said he felt the tightness Wednesday morning at the Cubs’ spring training complex, and the athletic training staff noticed him stretching more than usual.
“A little colder [Monday], so naturally I was a little tighter than usual,” Crow-Armstrong said. “But I operate off of natural tightness anyways, and I just thought it was something to be aware of. And my trainers did too.”
Crow-Armstrong spoke with trainers as well as manager Craig Counsell before they decided to sit the center fielder for the game. Although Crow-Armstrong said he was disappointed to miss a day of competition and the chance to face Diamondbacks star Corbin Burnes, he conceded that the cautious approach was the “smart decision.”
“In the season, I think this is something that we play through,” Crow-Armstrong said. “But I think what Counse got me to see yesterday was the goal is to still create a transparent dialog with the training staff.”