The Chicago Cubs suffered a blow to their pitching rotation on Friday as Jordan Wicks was forced to leave the game against the St. Louis Cardinals due to an injury. Cubs Manager Craig Counsell revealed that Wicks had been experiencing discomfort in his right oblique, which may lead him to be placed on the injured list. After a 3–0 loss to the Cardinals, Counsell said that Wicks’ injury would likely mean he would miss several starts and Kyle Hendricks would return to the rotation.
Prior to his injury, Wicks had been performing well, allowing no runs and two hits in 1 2/3 innings during his second start since returning from the injured list in late April. With a 4.18 ERA, 32 strikeouts, and a 1–2 record on the season, Wicks had shown promise before this setback. Meanwhile, Hendricks replaced Wicks in relief on Friday and pitched four innings without allowing any runs or hits. He had struggled earlier in the season but demonstrated improved form during this appearance against the Cardinals.
On the other hand, St. Louis’ Kyle Gibson delivered an impressive performance by pitching seven shutout innings and striking out six batters. Pedro Pagés broke the scoreless tie in
