Injury Updates: Mills Underwent Back Surgery, Suzuki X-Rays Negative, Contreras Progressing, Thompson Making Rehab Start
In addition to the veiled news on Nico Hoerner‘s triceps, the Cubs released several other injury updates ahead of Friday’s game. The most encouraging is that x-rays on Seiya Suzuki‘s left hand came back negative after he was struck in the hand by a pitch from former teammate Mychal Givens. The right fielder remained in the game, but we’ve seen the Cubs allow that in the past only to find out later that a player had fractured his wrist. Twice.
Cubs updates:
*Seiya Suzuki’s X-rays on left hand negative
*Hayden Wesneski to make his first MLB start tomorrow. Miley pushed back to start Monday.
*Alec Mills had lower back surgery Monday to remove portion of a disc
*Keegan Thompson making rehab start tonight at AAA
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) September 16, 2022
Willson Contreras has advanced to doing light agility work as part of his running progression as he recovers from a sprained ankle suffered in the Field of Dreams game and subsequently aggravated. Keegan Thompson is working his way back from low back tightness and will make a rehab start at Triple-A Iowa Friday night and lefty Steven Brault will throw a bullpen Friday as he rehabs a shoulder strain.
The Cubs also announced that righty Alec Mills had undergone a low-back discectomy on September 14 and that the procedure went well. Mills appeared in just seven games this season due to injury and did not pitch well in that time, likely due to symptoms from the back issue.
In injury-adjacent news, Wade Miley had his Saturday start pushed back to Money. Hayden Wesneski has been piggybacking the aging lefty and will take that spot instead. Adbert Alzolay is also expected to pitch this weekend, but he has not yet been officially activated as of post time.
