Cubs' Shota Imanaga to start series finale Thursday vs. Cardinals
ST. LOUIS – Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga is scheduled to return from the injured list to start the series finale against the Cardinals on Thursday, manager Craig Counsell announced Monday.
“Everything that happened on rehab was according to schedule,” Counsell said of Imanaga’s recovery from a strained left hamstring. “The performance was very good, all the important data that we look at was good, so he’s ready to go. I don’t think it’s a full start, but we’re pretty close.”
To round out the starting pitching plan in St. Louis, left-hander Matthew Boyd came out of his regular bullpen with no issues after exiting his last start with a bruised left shoulder, Counsell said. Boyd is lined up to start Wednesday.
The Cubs have yet to reveal what the corresponding move will be when they activate Imanaga. Counsell said they’d “figure that out Thursday.”
Since Imanaga’s injury, the rotation — comprised of Boyd and right-handers Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea, Cade Horton and Ben Brown — had a collective 4.46 ERA entering Monday.
“Those guys made every start, and I don’t know if health seems like a compliment, but those guys just taking the ball for the last seven weeks and staying healthy was critical for us and really important,” Counsell said. “So you never feel out of the woods when it comes to health, or when it comes to depth or things like that. But us getting through this stretch and our starters taking their turn every time was massively important.”