What's going on with Ben Zobrist?

By the time the Cubs reached their cruising speed, they are now looking for a new backup for their next backup.

Pedro Strop is on the list of injured Wednesday afternoon with hamstring tension, the third hamstring problem since last September (he's hurt left hock, in Washington bases) DC, Sept. 13. Now his left leg is again a problem).

The Cubs (21-13 years old) do not have a specific schedule, but expect to be without their best reliever for at least two weeks.

Strop said he felt something in the hamstring during his second round of work on April 28 in Arizona. He informed the Cubs and they chose to give him the two-game series in Seattle and hoped that between that and the two scheduled days of rest, it would be time to let the situation recover.

Strop was no longer needed until last Saturday against the Cardinals, where he launched a ninth inning perfect for his fourth save. He said that he still felt the hamstring problem in this match, but that it was not so serious and that he felt good before starting Monday's match against the Marlins .

Monday night, Strop had not cooperated much in the leg. He had to face technical difficulties and prevented his mechanics from making a difficult exit – he canceled the save and was accused of defeat while he left the four batters he faced in trio . walks and a shot.

"I'm not happy to make this trip to California because you need a few months to get ready and be ready to help the team win, and that's difficult," said Strop. "But the way I felt, I could not help, everyone could see it, not looking for excuses, but I could not be myself."

The good news is that Strop said that it was a completely different problem from last September's injury and that the current hamstring tension is less severe. He stated that he was not suffering much on Monday as he had done during his National League Wild-Card match last October (nearly three weeks after being injured in the tendon). hock), but he was aware of the fact that he was physically limited.

Strop hopes to be back in a month.

"It's frustrating, especially with me, I think everything is very personal," he said. "I'm taking my job, my team, winning, losing – I'm taking it personally, so I'm being pushed aside at this point where we play so well, I'm a little jealous, I'm going to try to do my thing Back here, I only support them, applaud them and push them, but it's a bit frustrating. "

After a difficult week to start the 2019 season, the Cubs market is well resumed. They came into play Wednesday leading the baseball in ERA (2.40) since April 8.

Strop is confident that his buddies will take over in his absence, but how will that happen? The Cubs are already down in Brandon Morrow, who has suffered a setback in his recovery after an off-season elbow surgery and currently does not have a return schedule.

Joe Maddon was reluctant to officially name Strop "his closest", although this is obviously the role of the right-handed veteran since the fall of Morrow mid-season last year.

In the future, Maddon said it would be a mix of everyone – Steve Cishek, Brad Brach, Brandon Kintzler, Kyle Ryan, Carl Edwards Jr. (who had just been promoted to minor leagues this week ), Mike Montgomery Wednesday).

Ryan started the ninth inning of a 1-game match on Wednesday, but was replaced by Cishek after yielding a single to the first batter. Cishek gave another hit, then a wild volley that allowed the tied race to get in position at third base and then score on a gap.

The final result (an exploded backup) is not a good first test for a corrector without Strop, but Maddon still feels like it's the winning formula. After Cishek came out of the heat, Tyler Chatwood and Carl Edwards Jr. each started a scoreless frame to set the stage for Jason Heyward's return in the middle of the 11th.

"You just have to save someone for that moment," Maddon said. "In advance, you start looking at their alignment – here's the seventh [inning]here is the eighth, all is well, maybe four batters that run, maybe four batters that run, which is the best type for the last 3 outs – which may mean maybe four hitters.

"It will be all guys … it's wide open .It's the far, wild west." I'm not going with any preconceived ideas, except who are our guys for tonight? And then I have to develop the plan for pre-match, then in the game, make the adjustments. "

Theo Epstein took the same position as when the Morrow backhand was announced: the Cubs would not immediately look to play the role of their guardian from outside (as Craig Kimbrel call it).

"It really does not change anything for us," said Epstein Wednesday. "We are aware that this is a year on which we are constantly going to seek corrector adjustments to try to put the right relivers in the right position to succeed, that we will have to adjust and adjust during the course." the current year and we will receive a lot of help both internally and probably at some point outside the organization.

"We have adopted and will continue to adopt an aggressive market spirit, and I think the results to date are exceptional, but that does not mean that that we become passive or do not think it will continue.We will be challenged in this area throughout the year and we must continue to be resourceful.

"Our pitching infrastructure and Joe have done a great job putting these players on the field to succeed and this needs to continue.The absence of Strop just underscores the fact that guys are going to have to keep doing good stains. . "

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