Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele had to leave his first-ever opening-day start because he injured his left hamstring while trying to field a sacrifice bunt in the fifth inning against the Texas Rangers on Thursday night.
Steele tried to grab the ball after coming off the mound and ended up falling awkwardly. After managing to throw the ball to first base to get an out, Steele fell to the ground, holding the back of his left leg above his knee.
Once the team’s trainer checked on him, Steele got up on his own and slowly walked back to the Cubs’ dugout. Julian Merryweather took over for Steele and finished the inning, keeping the game tied at 1.
Steele said he felt something pull while he was trying to field the bunt and didn’t want to risk making the injury worse.
Manager Craig Counsell mentioned that Steele would undergo an MRI on Friday morning, and it’s likely that he will need some time on the injured list.
Despite the setback, Steele performed well, striking out six batters and giving up only three hits over 4 2/3 innings. Last season, he had a successful record of 16 wins and 5 losses with a 3.06 ERA in 30 starts. He even made it to the All-Star game and finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
Steele’s first two strikeouts were against Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, who were among the top finishers in last season’s AL MVP voting.
Reflecting on his performance, Steele mentioned that it was good to get the first game of the season out of the way and hopes for a quick recovery to get back on the field soon.
