The Chicago Cubs will be without one-half of their effective catching duo for at least a month, manager Craig Counsell confirmed Tuesday. He is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks after suffering a right oblique strain, which landed him on the 10-day injured list.
Amaya underwent an MRI following the injury, which occurred Saturday. He has been solid at the plate this season, posting a .280/.313/.505 slash line. Though he entered the season as the projected starter, Amaya had been sharing time with Carson Kelly, who has emerged as one of baseball’s most unexpected offensive standouts. The 30-year-old Kelly is hitting .301 with a .425 on-base percentage and a .612 slugging percentage in his 10th big league season.
Despite Kelly’s hot bat, Amaya’s absence is a significant setback for the Cubs, who are trying to keep both catchers fresh for the second half of what’s shaping up to be a competitive season. Heading into Tuesday’s matchup with the Rockies, the Cubs (33-21) lead the NL Central by three games over the St. Louis Cardinals (30-24).
Amaya sustained the injury while attempting to throw out Reds speedster Elly De La Cruz. He exited the game shortly after and was replaced by Kelly before being officially placed on the IL the following day. The Cubs now have a clearer picture of the severity of the injury.
“We’re hoping to get him back before the All-Star break,” Counsell said, via Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times.