NEW YORK — Kris Bryant left Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Mets with a right-hand bruise. Bryant took a fastball off his hand during his first at-bat and looked to be in pain.
Bryant stayed in the game to run the bases after being checked out by manager David Ross and the team’s training staff, but he was replaced by Patrick Wisdom in the second inning. It’s the second time this season Bryant has been hit in the hand/wrist.
Ross said after the game that Bryant’s X-rays came back negative but said he would wait to decide if Bryant will be in the lineup on Wednesday.
The Cubs multipositional superstar has been having an MVP-caliber first half, slashing .292/.374/.544 with 13 home runs, 38 RBIs and a team-leading 16 doubles.
Mills strikes out six in spot start
The Cubs have needed innings from different pitchers with starters Adbert Alzolay and Trevor Williams on the 10-day injured list. On Tuesday, right-hander Alec Mills got his first start since April 13 and just his second since coming off the IL.
Mills wasn’t bad on short notice and was in control for most of his outing. After the Cubs took an early 2-0 lead on Javy Baez’s two-run shot in the third inning, the Mets came right back on a two-run single by Pete Alonso, tying the game at 2.
Alonso gave the Mets the lead in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly. Mills finished the game allowing three runs on five hits over 4⅓ innings. He walked two batters and struck out six.
“I think it’s something we talked about at the beginning of the year,” Mills said. “We were gonna need more than just the five starters. I think everybody across the league is seeing that now.
“I think to jump from 60 to 162 is just a big toll on the body. We’re just doing what we can to stay healthy. I’m doing everything I can just to be available whenever they need me.”
The Cubs had an opportunity to tie the game in the ninth inning after Eric Sogard singled to the right-field gap. Jake Marisnick, who came in to pinch-run for Willson Contreras, went first to third and was waved home by third-base coach Willie Harris on an aggressive send.
But the Mets made the perfect relay as outfielder Kevin Pillar fired the ball to second baseman Luis Guillorme, who threw out Marisnick at the plate.
“I always err on the side of aggressiveness,” Ross said. “I thought that was a really nice relay by Guillorme. Almost a blind turn and throw to get our fastest baserunner trying to make something happen there late. I don’t have a problem with that at all.”
Stock gets the nod on Wednesday
Right-hander Robert Stock will start for the Cubs on Wednesday against two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom. Stock will make his first appearance for the Cubs after being claimed off waivers in the offseason.
Stock has gotten rave reviews during his recent stretch starting in Triple-A, and he has been consistently hitting and sitting at 100 mph in four-inning bursts.
