Hoerner sprains ankle after running into ump
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SAN DIEGO -- The Cubs have put at least one player on the injured list for four straight days. As if that wasn’t testing their depth enough, they saw shortstop Nico Hoerner exit their 7-5 victory over the Padres on Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park after a collision with an umpire.
Hoerner sustained a right ankle sprain, the club said. X-rays were negative, but the team must wait until the swelling goes down before a final determination about the injury severity can be made. Hoerner might miss “a couple days,” manager David Ross said.
Hoerner departed in the second inning. One inning earlier, he was aligned on the right side in a shift when Jurickson Profar tripled to deep center field. Hoerner was running into relay position in the outfield when he crashed into second-base umpire Dan Iassogna in short right-center field.
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“In the shift, people sometimes are in different places than we’re used to,” Hoerner said. “I was watching the ball, and the umpire was. I was on the ground before I realized what happened.
“We’re both just doing our jobs, and weird things happen sometimes.”
Hoerner was checked by the Cubs’ athletic trainer and stayed in the game for the moment. He struck out in the top of the second inning, then was replaced on defense by Ildemaro Vargas.
• Cubs' injuries and roster moves
Losing Hoerner for any extended period would be yet another blow for a Cubs squad that had lost 15 of its past 19 games before winning the finale and has endured roster turmoil. Hoerner entered Wednesday fourth on the team with a bWAR mark of 0.9, and he is batting .271 with a .689 OPS. He’s been better than that of late, batting .305 since April 21.
Hoerner has been starting at shortstop because free-agent signee Andrelton Simmons has been sidelined all season with right shoulder inflammation. Since this past weekend, Chicago has seen second baseman Nick Madrigal (lower back tightness), starting pitcher Marcus Stroman (undisclosed), outfielder Michael Hermosillo (right quadriceps strain) and relievers Sean Newcomb (left ankle sprain) and David Robertson (undisclosed) land on the IL.
Right fielder Seiya Suzuki, meanwhile, has been out of the starting lineup for two games because of right ankle soreness.