CHICAGO — All-Star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is sidelined with a bruised right knee, giving the Chicago Cubs yet another item to consider in the final 10 days before the July 31 trade deadline.
Known for his hard-charging style of play, Crow-Armstrong felt something on a slide during Sunday’s 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Wrigley Field. The Cubs penciled in Seiya Suzuki as the starting center fielder in Monday’s lineup against the Kansas City Royals, hoping their primary designated hitter can be a temporary solution.
“He just banged it up and woke up and felt a little swelling,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We’re just going to try to give him the day today, and hopefully, back in there tomorrow.”
At just 23 years old, Crow-Armstrong has emerged as a legitimate National League MVP candidate with his explosive combination of power (26 home runs), speed (28 stolen bases) and Gold Glove-caliber defense. He played in 98 of the club’s first 99 games, covering 870-plus innings in center field and routinely making the difficult plays look easy with his instincts and initial bursts.
For a team with World Series aspirations, Suzuki is not viewed as a viable everyday center fielder. Even before this issue popped up, the Cubs acknowledged their group of position players had been remarkably healthy. Adding more depth was always going to be a priority at the trade deadline.
“This is not a scenario we want to consider a lot, obviously,” Counsell said, “just because we want Pete in there.”
The track record shows the Cubs typically add an extra center fielder during a playoff race. While current president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer worked as Theo Epstein’s general manager in Chicago, the Cubs made midseason moves to acquire Austin Jackson (2015), Leonys Martin (2017) and Cameron Maybin (2020) for depth and experience.
Chicago is already exploring the trade market for potential upgrades that could include a starting pitcher, a late-inning reliever and a third baseman. There is no way to completely replace Crow-Armstrong’s energy and production — and this could wind up being only a short-term issue — but the club would be interested in another insurance policy.
The Cubs believe Crow-Armstrong injured his right knee during Sunday’s rundown in the second inning, which led to Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet covering third base.
“He’s not completely sure what had happened,” Counsell said. “But if you look at the replays, it was likely on that one. That’s why it was a blocking-the-bag situation, because the slide was clearly altered. If you watch the slide and replay, it’s not a normal-looking slide. And further reason that it was blocking the bag.”
(Photo: Griffin Quinn / Getty Images)
