A week ago in Toronto, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras was introspective about the ankle injury he’d been pushing through for weeks.
“At some point, you have to just take it easy, and don’t hurt the team, don’t hurt yourself, and do what’s best for the team,” he said then.
It is officially that point. The Cubs announced Tuesday that they’d put Contreras on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Saturday, with a left ankle sprain.
The team also activated outfielder Michael Hermosillo from the 60-day IL and designated right-hander Nicholas Padilla for assignment. Hermosillo has been on the IL with strained left quadriceps since May 10.
Contreras is set to undergo imaging on his ankle, and the Cubs hope rest this week will help him bounce back.
“It’s a one step forward, two steps back kind of thing,” manager David Ross said. “Feels better each and every day with rest, test it out, sore again the next day. … Just get him back completely healthy. It’s hard to play at 70, 80% on something like that.”
Contreras originally hurt his ankle in the Field of Dreams game nearly four weeks ago. The soreness progressed to his foot. He hasn’t played since last Tuesday in Toronto, when he hit a fourth-inning home run and exited after the fifth inning.
In other roster news
The Cubs also activated left-hander Wade Miley from the 60-day IL (left shoulder strain) to start against the Reds in Tuesday’s series opener. In a corresponding move, they designated right-handed pitcher Luke Farrell for assignment.
