Cubs Injury News: Madrigal Having MRI, Happ Taking BP, Kilian’s Shoulder ‘Concerning’

A lot of the bumps and bruises suffered during spring training are treated more carefully out of an abundance of caution, but some are much more serious. That may be the case for Caleb Kilian, who left Tuesday’s start early and underwent an MRI on Wednesday. Though the results have not yet been released, manager Craig Counsell didn’t seem very optimistic when he called the injury “concerning.”

Kilian has struggled with his control and consistency since coming over to the Cubs along with Alexander Canario in the Kris Bryant trade. Some of that has been due to figuring out how to maintain what had previously been nearly impeccable location as his velocity ticked up, then there was a nagging knee issue in 2022. Kilian came into camp hitting upper 90s with his fastball and looked like a nice depth option at the very least.

Fingers crossed for a clean MRI, but shoulders are tough.

Nick Madrigal is also undergoing an MRI on his right hamstring as he continues to battle a long-running series of leg injuries. This one appears to be more precautionary in nature due to Madrigal’s track record, as Counsell didn’t sound too concerned about the outcome.

Ian Happ will take BP on the field Wednesday after sitting out for a few days with a tight left hamstring, so it sounds like he’s well on his way to returning in plenty of time to ramp back up ahead of Opening Day. Not that there was ever much worry on that front, it’s just that hammies can be tricky and you never want to rush anything on that front.

Update: Counsell said Thursday that Kilian has a major strain in his right shoulder and won’t return to game action until around the All-Star break. That’s a general target because the timeline for this type of injury can vary.

Madrigal has a hamstring strain and played catch Thursday morning, but this latest entry in a growing list of leg issues isn’t great for his chances of making the 26-man roster.