Arrieta (right hamstring tightness) to IL
CHICAGO -- In the immediate aftermath of another start gone wrong on Tuesday night, Cubs veteran Jake Arrieta insisted that he still had plenty lefty in his tank and was willing to do what it took to get back on track.
The Cubs have decided what is best for Arrieta right now is a break -- both physically and mentally, per manager David Ross. Prior to Wednesday's game against the Phillies, Chicago placed Arrieta on the 10-day injured list due to right hamstring tightness.
Ross said it was not worth having Arrieta push through the injury one more time before the All-Star break.
"He's been doing a lot of that anyways, pushing through," Ross said Wednesday. "So, I think it's my job to make sure [he gets healthy], and take that out of his hands and do what's best for him and us."
On Tuesday night, the 35-year-old Arrieta lasted just 1 2/3 innings (for the second start in a row) and yielded seven runs, including four via a first-inning grand slam by Andrew McCutchen. On the season, the righty has gone 5-9 with a 6.30 ERA in 17 outings.
Ross indicated that Arrieta's calf issue can be traced back to late May, aligning with the pitcher's prolonged slump. Since May 30, the veteran has turned in a 9.67 ERA in eight turns. Arrieta has an 8.55 ERA and 1.005 opponents' OPS dating back to April 30.
"It's one of those things, I think he thinks he's fine," Ross said. "Something's going on with the way he's pitching and I think it's just best if we take care of that, make sure everything's not some of the cause of what's going on with him. We're just trying to give him time to fully recover and make sure that's not the issue."
Worth noting
• Ross did not name a rotation replacement for Arrieta, but righty Trevor Williams would be an option. Williams came off the 10-day IL on Tuesday and worked 3 2/3 innings after Arrieta's short start pressed the recently-returned starter into duty.
"I thought Trevor did good," Ross said. "I thought he did a nice job of giving us some innings when we needed them, for sure."
• With Arrieta out, righty Cory Abbott was recalled from Triple-A Iowa to give the bullpen a fresh arm. Like Abbott, righty Keegan Thompson is a starter by trade, but Ross said there are no current plans to move Thompson out of the relief corps.
"Keegan, as of right now, is still in our bullpen," Ross said. "I think there's a lot of things that could change if we don't start winning, yeah. We've got to be better, for sure."
• Catcher Robinson Chirinos homered in the ninth inning on Tuesday night, marking his first career hit in a Cubs uniform. Chirinos was originally signed by Chicago on July 2, 2000, making that homer 7,674 days in the making.
• First baseman Anthony Rizzo, in partnership with Marquee Sports Network, raised $650,000 during his broadcast auction during Tuesday's game. The money will go to Rizzo's foundation to help families dealing with childhood cancer.
• Shortstop Javier Báez was a late scratch from Wednesday's starting lineup due to a right thumb sprain.
Quotable
"They've proven that they're a winning group earlier in the season. I think we can get back to that level. We've just got to get over this mentally, just getting rid of what happened over the last 11 days." -- Ross, on the Cubs' losing streak