CINCINNATI – Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner was out of the lineup on Friday, after being hit on the right hand by a pitch the day before.
He took X-rays of the injury Thursday after the game, but the results, manager Craig Counsell said, were “somewhat inconclusive.” Hoerner will undergo further testing.
“Sore today,” Hoerner said before the Cubs’ game Friday against the Reds. “And I just wasn’t able to swing how I wanted to, obviously, to play a game today.”
Hoerner sustained the injury in the fourth inning of the Cubs’ 8-4 loss Thursday. Reds right-hander Hunter Greene threw a 96.5 mph fastball up and in, catching Hoerner on his back hand, just above the wrist, on a check swing. After being examined by head athletic trainer Nick Frangella on the field, Hoerner remained in the game.
“Always scary,” Hoerner said. “A lot of small bones in that area, and unfortunately, it happens a decent amount. But it seems like I got pretty lucky.”
Hoerner had a minor-league IL stint in 2019 after a similar hit by pitch, a check swing on a ball up and in. That time, he said he broke a small bone in his right wrist.
Now, Hoerner’s status is considered day-to-day as the Cubs monitor his recovery and gather more information.
