Setback to preparations ahead of the new season for the Cubs.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Matt Garza suffered an injury setback on the weekend, as he continues to struggle with a strained left lat muscle.
According to Carrie Muskat of Cubs.com, Garza will miss the first month of the regular season and will sit out the next week in order to recover.
The 29-year-old has been one of the team’s most consistent performers over the last two seasons, in 49 starts he had a 15-17 record with a 3.52 ERA and 293 strikeouts.
However, an elbow injury halted his progress at the end of last season forcing him to miss the last two-and-a-half months, and it was a complaint he struggled with again last month.
With Garza and Scott Baker ruled out, the Cubs are likely to rely on the other players in the rotation having added depth to their roster.
Jeff Samardzija has been officially named as a starter for the opening day of the season, while more will be expected, and needed, from the likes of Edwin Jackson and Scott Feldman.
Regardless of the number of replacements at their disposal, the Cubs will be ruing the loss of Garza who offered one of the more reliable spots in their line-up.
To add to the veteran’s headaches, he is a free agent at the end of next season and will likely face an uncertain future depending on when he is able to return and how his team-mates fare without him.
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