NEW YORK — Chicago Cubs’ left fielder Ian Happ was absent from the lineup for the second consecutive game due to discomfort in his oblique. However, manager Craig Counsell provided a positive update on Sunday, stating that Happ is showing signs of improvement.
The discomfort arose during Friday’s game against the New York Mets, where Happ experienced a tweak in his oblique during a first-inning swing and strikeout against Clay Holmes. Despite this, he continued to play and finished 0 for 3 with a walk. The decision to rest him followed as he missed Saturday’s 6-5 victory over the Mets.
On Sunday, Happ engaged in some light throwing and took swings in the outfield, signaling progress. Counsell indicated that there are no current plans to place Happ on the injured list. Before the Cubs wrapped up their three-game series against the Mets, Counsell commented, “He’s doing good. Yesterday, we didn’t do any activity. Essentially, today we’re going to run around. He’s going to hit. We’ll just see how that goes, but if he’s hitting today, that’s a good sign, and we’ll just kind of evaluate what the day produces.”
Happ has been performing consistently this season, batting .269 with three home runs and driving in 19 runs. Until his recent time off, he had not missed a game and regularly batted leadoff after being placed in that position for the second half of last season.
In Happ’s absence, Pete Crow-Armstrong has taken over the leadoff spot for the second consecutive game, while Seiya Suzuki has started in left field for two straight days, filling in for the ailing outfielder.