Craig Counsell's scary injury update on Cody Bellinger won't help Cubs anxiety

The Chicago Cubs took another hit — quite literally — during their 4-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.

Outfielder Cody Bellinger left the game after getting hit by a pitch on his left hand in the top of the seventh inning. Although he remained in the game to take his base, he was removed by the team's athletic trainers the next time the Cubs took the field. Bellinger was replaced in right field by Miles Mastrobuoni before the bottom of the inning.

Cubs don't have any positive news for Cody Bellinger's injury

Cubs manager Craig Counsell didn't have a diagnosis on Bellinger's injury during his postgame press conference, but he didn't provide much optimism.

"It's his left middle finger," Counsell said. "[He] didn't feel like he could throw a baseball, so we're going to have to do some tests and figure out what's going on."

If nothing else, the injury could affect Bellinger's trade market. Although Bellinger has been playing well this year, the Cubs have struggled. That sets the stage for a potential trade before the deadline on July 30. The two-time All-Star has been frequently cited as a trade candidate for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Seattle Mariners. Bellinger was named the 2018 National League MVP during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He struggled in the following seasons before enjoying a resurgence with the Cubs since arriving in Chicago last year.

Bellinger said the injured finger was swollen and was causing a little bit of pain, according to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune.

“There’s some positives and negatives to it," Bellinger said. "Range of motion is pretty good. But I've learned that you’ve got to wait for the CT scan until you can make any opinions on it.”

The 2024 campaign has been a rough one for the injury-riddled Cubs. Even after the win against Baltimore, the Cubs are 10 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. Their 44-49 record is tied for worst in the division.

Despite the rough season, there is reason for optimism in Chicago. The Cubs have won five of their last six games, each by at least four runs, and they've now won three consecutive games for the first time since April. All-Star Shota Imanaga pitched six scoreless innings before relievers Luke Little, Porter Hodge, and Hector Neris wrapped up the shut out against the Orioles on Wednesday.

Chicago activated reliever Mark Leiter Jr. on Tuesday, and they are optimistic about getting a slew of pitchers back from their injured list following the All-Star break.