Thumb luck: Will Javy Baez fractured thumb be the final injury blow that knocks out Cubs?

“We’ve been beat up; we’ve had some bad luck,” pitcher Jon Lester said. “Hopefully, we continue to play good baseball and get in.”

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Milwaukee Brewers v Chicago Cubs

Javy Baez jammed his left thumb sliding head-first into second base Sunday.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

MILWAUKEE — How many body blows can the Cubs take in a season and still make the playoffs? 

They’re about to find out.

Players learned Saturday afternoon as they arrived at the ballpark for a game against the division-rival Brewers that All-Star shortstop Javy Baez has a hairline fracture in his left thumb and appears likely to miss the rest of the season.

“It’s definitely a big blow for us,” teammate Anthony Rizzo said. 

If they didn’t know how big at the time, they felt it in a gut-punch, walk-off loss a few hours later when Baez’s replacement, Addison Russell, sailed an errant throw to first leading off the ninth. That led to the deciding run in a 3-2 loss when Christian Yelich’s two-out drive to the wall in left scored the runner from first.

“We’re [losing] an All-Star on and off the field, a perennial MVP candidate. So that’s not easy. But we can’t just hang our heads,” Rizzo said. “As professionals, we have to step up.”

It has been the story all season for a team that’s clinging to a 1½-game lead over the fast-closing Diamondbacks in the race for the second National League wild-card spot — and that fell to 3½ games behind the Central-leading Cardinals.

“We’re down a guy. Obviously that’s a big blow to our lineup, to our team,” pitcher Jon Lester said. “It’s been a frustrating year as far as that goes. But if we play good baseball and hold off [the NL pursuers], a playoff appearance is a playoff appearance, no matter how you look at it. Hopefully, we can do that.”

Baez, the MVP runner-up last year, jammed the thumb sliding head-first into second Sunday. Twice during the Brewers series, he tried to show in pregame work that he was ready to return.

That prompted the MRI exam. He’s scheduled to see a hand specialist Monday, and the Cubs won’t estimate a timeline until then. But with only 19 games remaining after that, his chances to return are dubious at best.

“Javy’s the heart of this team,” said catcher Willson Contreras, who just returned Tuesday from a monthlong hamstring injury. “He plays for us with his head on fire. We’re going to miss him a lot, but like somebody said once, ‘One steps out, one steps in.’ ”

Few know it as well as the Cubs.

This is a team that has played most of the season without a closer, had every starting pitcher but one miss time because of injuries, lost its best leadoff hitter for four months because of personal leave over marital issues and had all but two of the other hitters in the opening lineup lose time to injuries or minor-league demotions.

Even Russell missed the first month serving his domestic-violence suspension. He lost his starting job in the process.

“We’ve been beat up; we’ve had some bad luck,” Lester said. “Hopefully, we continue to play good baseball and get in. That’s huge for us. I’m still a big believer in the fact that if you get in, anything can happen. I like our chances.”

Russell, an All-Star in 2016, takes over as the every-day shortstop.

He has struggled to hit this year but is by far the best option for the position defensively on the roster. The bigger question is whether the Cubs will ask him to start the rest of their games, with only one scheduled day off left on the schedule.

“He’s capable,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We’ve just got to keep a close eye on him, and then we’ll make that determination.”

For a team that suggested before the season that anything short of a division title (or more) would be a disappointment, the latest key injury starts to make a wild-card berth — and fifth consecutive postseason — look like a major accomplishment.

“Listen, to get to the playoffs is not easy,” Rizzo said. “Our expectation level is extremely high for a good reason. Once you get in, anything can happen. Our goal is still to win this division. But whatever the route is, it is.”

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