Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger had been upbeat late Tuesday, despite leaving the game early with what he described as a ‘‘dull pain’’ in his right ribs from jumping into the brick outfield wall at Wrigley Field.
‘‘We’re going to have to check on the wall,’’ he joked after the game. ‘‘See if the wall’s OK first and then be careful around that wall next time.’’
But Bellinger received disheartening news before the Cubs’ 4-3 victory Wednesday against the Astros.
A CT scan revealed he had fractured two ribs on his right side, manager Craig Counsell said. The Cubs put Bellinger on the 10-day injured list and, in a corresponding move, recalled top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong from Triple-A Iowa.
Bellinger suffered the injury while trying to chase down a deep fly by the Astros’ Yainer Diaz in the fourth inning. The ball hit the wall as he was trying to corral it, and Diaz was credited with a double in a game the Cubs would go on to win 7-2. Bellinger initially stayed in the game but eventually left before the top of the seventh.
‘‘Honestly didn’t feel much at first,’’ he said after the game. ‘‘And then as the innings went on, started to get a little more uncomfortable. It was nothing serious. It’s dull. It’s very dull pain even now, which is a good sign.’’
Bellinger said he felt fine rotating his torso, but deep breaths were uncomfortable. His X-rays came back negative, and Counsell said Bellinger was even encouraged by how he felt after waking up Wednesday.
‘‘ ‘I think I kind of dodged something’ were his words, actually,’’ Counsell said.
The results of scan, however, dented that optimism.
Counsell said the Cubs didn’t have a specific timeline for Bellinger’s return. Bellinger was set to discuss the injury and next steps with doctors more extensively.
Bellinger landed on the IL early last season after making a leaping catch at the top of the wall in a game against the Astros at Minute Maid Park. Without him for a month because of a bone bruise in his left knee, the Cubs’ offense wavered.
‘‘Frankly, what your goal is in those situations is there’s going to be a little bit of a drop-off, but you hope to minimize it as much as you can,’’ Counsell said. ‘‘And I do think we’re in that position just to minimize maybe [Bellinger’s and right fielder Seiya Suzuki’s] absences a little bit and a cover for them a little bit.’’
Crow-Armstrong’s role
Crow-Armstrong has had a slow start at the plate this season at Iowa, batting only .203. But his defensive prowess and speed on the basepaths can be an asset to the major-league team.
‘‘Pete’s here because of injuries,’’ Counsell said when asked about balancing Crow-Armstrong’s development and winning major-league games. ‘‘And so when these guys get healthy, there’s probably not going to be a spot for him. And so from that perspective, we’re maybe taking a timeout. But I still think big-league at-bats, big-league competition, that’s development, too.’’
Counsell said he doesn’t expect Crow-Armstrong will start in the outfield every day, but he likely will get some starts in addition to coming off the bench as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. On Wednesday, he entered in center field with the Cubs holding a two-run lead in the eighth.
This and that
Right-hander Jameson Taillon kept his strong start going. Only one of the two runs he allowed was earned, and he pitched 5⅔ innings in his second outing of the season.
• Shortstop Dansby Swanson drove in three of the Cubs’ four runs with a three-run home run in the first. For the second consecutive game, a first-inning rally sparked a Cubs victory.
• Reliever Hector Neris took the mound in the ninth to face the top of the Astros’ batting order. He gave up a leadoff homer to Jose Altuve before retiring the next three batters in order for his second save.
