Cubs put lefty Jordan Wicks on 15-day IL in another early hit to the rotation

BOSTON – The Cubs face a new injury hurdle, putting lefty Jordan Wicks in the 15-day injured list with what they called a strained left forearm on Sunday.

They have three pitchers who were part of the Opening Day rotation on the IL, with Wicks joining lefty Justin Steele (strained left hamstring) and veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks (strained low back).

“You want your best players out there, there’s no question about it,” manager Craig Counsell said before the Cubs’ series finale against the Red Sox on Sunday. “But we have to look at it as, these are opportunities.”

Right-hander Hayden Wesneski took Wicks’ place as the starter Sunday.

The Cubs also made a series of bullpen moves, optioning rookie Luke Little to Triple-A Iowa, recalling young right-hander Daniel Palencia, and selecting the contract of lefty Richard Lovelady, who they signed to a minor-league deal this past offseason.

The Cubs backdated Wicks’ placement on the IL to Thursday. So, he’ll be eligible to return as early as May 10. His timeline will depend on how he responds to treatment.

“We just wanted to be precautionary this early in the season,” Wicks said. “I feel like there’s no reason to push it or put anything unnecessarily at risk. Obviously, extremely frustrated that we had to do that, but it’s the best course of action going forward with the bigger picture in mind. Not overly concerned.”

Counsell had a similar outlook.

“That’s the hope, is that maybe we caught this soon enough that it’s just a short stay,” he said.

Bellinger optimistic

Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger (fractured right ribs) took meaningful steps in his rehab process Sunday. After moving through his swing the day before, he hit off a tee for the first time Sunday. He also hit about five front-tossed baseballs. And he played catch.