As the Chicago Cubs prepare for a critical stretch in September and a heated playoff race, they’ll now have to do it without All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel for the foreseeable future.
Cubs general manager Theo Epstein announced that Kimbrel is experiencing inflammation in his right elbow and is landing on the 10-day injured list until it improves.
Kimbrel previously landed on the injured list in August with knee inflammation before returning on Aug. 18. The 31-year-old posted five consecutive shutout appearances with four saves before allowing three runs on Sunday to Milwaukee.
MRI results on Kimbrel’s elbow came out clean, which the team is hopeful could result in this being a short-term absence for the All-Star closer. Kimbrel owns a 5.68 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and is 13-of-15 in save opportunities for Chicago.