Arrieta likes where he’s at in his recovery from hamstring strain

Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta said he likes where he’s at in his recovery from a Grade 1 right hamstring strain.

“I’m doing good guys. I have a bullpen today and I’m making a lot of progress,” Arrieta said on WSCR-670 the Score on Thursday. “Everything is going in the right direction.”

One of the MLB’s hottest pitchers left the Cubs game against the Pirates last week with an apparent hamstring injury. After the game, Arrieta didn’t know the severity of his injury and said it was a “foreign feeling” since he’d never injured his hamstring before.

But now, Arrieta is hoping he’ll be back sooner than later. He said he’s been working with the trainers closely to ensure that he’s not putting too much stress on his hamstring, while trying to rehabilitate the injury.

“The biggest part of the rehab process is trying to make strides without having any step backs,” Arrieta said, who was named the National League’s pitcher of the month in August. “Just pushing it to the point where there’s no discomfort and pain, but controlling the effort that way so we’re not taking any steps back.

Arrieta also noted that it could’ve been a lot worse like Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, who suffered a Grade 2 strain.

“It’s just one of those unknowns. My preparation is always there. The warmup leading into the start is always the same,” he said. “I don’t know if there’s any rhyme or reason. Sometimes they just happen. Hopefully put this behind me for good.”