Cubs' Anthony Rizzo sidelined by sore back for finale in Milwaukee

Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo sidelined by sore back for finale in Milwaukee

By Gordon Wittenmyer

MILWAUKEE — First baseman Anthony Rizzo sat out the Cubs’ 4-2 victory Sunday against the Brewers because of a back problem he played through Saturday.

The Cubs don’t consider the recurring issue serious, but Rizzo’s status for the series opener Tuesday against the Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field appears to be in doubt.

Rizzo, who indicated he expects to be ready by then, said the back flared up on his first swing in the on-deck circle in the first inning Saturday.

‘‘It just grabbed on me pretty good,’’ he said of the upper-back tightness. ‘‘I just kind of had to deal with it all game. It just gradually got worse, and [Sunday] morning it felt really bad. But we worked on it, and it’s really loosened up. So I’m in a better place now than I was.’’

Manager Joe Maddon said it helped to know Rizzo has dealt with the back issue in recent seasons and has been able to manage it with a day or two off at a time.

‘‘That’s why it didn’t surprise me and I wasn’t overtly concerned about it,’’ Maddon said. ‘‘He’s smart enough to know when it’s time to not push it, and that’s pretty much the message I got. We’re just going to let it calm down a little bit.

‘‘Hopefully [he returns] by Tuesday and, if not, more than likely by Wednesday. No reason to push it.’’

Rizzo, who walked twice and was hit by a pitch in the Cubs’ 11-inning victory Saturday, missed time because of the back this spring. He also sat out two games in Miami in June of last season.

Rizzo said this was different than past episodes, ‘‘just a little more extreme.’’ But he was confident he would be well enough to play quickly, thanks to a little help from the Cubs’ scheduled day off Monday.

Deadline angst

Rookie catcher Victor Caratini, who filled in at first for Rizzo and delivered a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, is prepared for the likelihood that he’ll spend August in the minors if the Cubs land the veteran catcher they seek by the trade deadline Monday.

‘‘That’s out of my control, whatever they’re thinking,’’ he said through an interpreter. ‘‘But as long as I’m here, I’m going to keep working hard.’’

This and that

The Cubs went 16-8 in July, their best month in terms of winning percentage since going 22-6 last August.

• Mostly because of a massive influx of Cubs fans, the three weekend games were the sixth, seventh and eighth sellouts this season at Miller Park.

‘‘It kind of energized us,’’ third baseman Kris Bryant said of the pro-Cubs crowds. ‘‘I don’t know if it was right there with a playoff game, but it was pretty close.’’

<em>Rizzo is hit by pitch in Saturday’s 7th inning</em>. — *Rizzo is hit by pitch in Saturday’s 7th inning*.

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Email: gwittenmyer@suntimes.com