Marcus Stroman injury update is worst-case scenario for Cubs

The Cubs just got gloomy injury news on ace Marcus Stroman, who has been suffering from rib discomfort for a few days now.

The Chicago Cubs are running out of luck in a pivotal stretch to make the playoffs this year. Star pitcher Marcus Stroman, who complained about right rib discomfort this past Sunday, was diagnosed with a rib cartilage fracture after tests came back.

According to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, the Cubs have no timeline for when Stroman might return.

Shortly after the MLB trade deadline, Stroman landed on the 15-day injured list with hip inflammation. He was meant to return from his hip issue on Wednesday; however, the tests revealed the two-time All-Star had picked up a rib injury and will head back to the shelf.

Stroman’s setback bears more bad news for the Cubs, who are looking to achieve their first playoff appearance since 2020.

Cubs’ Marcus Stroman is out indefinitely due to a rib cartilage fracture

Chicago managed to avoid a fire sale with an unexpected but welcome eight-game winning streak in late July. 3 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the NL Central, the Cubs remain firmly in the playoff race, albeit losing star players like Stroman this deep into the season suggests the team may not linger in the postseason for long.

It’s not like Stroman was angling to become Chicago’s savior during this final stretch of the year; prior to his IL stint, he went 1-4 with a 9.00 ERA in his last nine games.

But the Cubs were at least partially banking on Stroman to return to his early-season dominance to make a deep playoff run. Now that Stroman’s return is up in the air, it’s time to scotch-tape this roster and see how far the Cubs’ X, Y, and Z backup plans can take them, assuming they make it to October.

Javier Assad, Stroman’s plug-and-play replacement, is performing well, though consider the small sample size. Chicago’s bullpen, with worn-down pieces like Julian Merryweather, Mark Leiter Jr. and Adbert Alzolay, will continue to feel the heavy strain of Stroman’s absence.

With Stroman’s own future also in flux after his injury, the Cubs wait with bated breath to see how things will play out.