Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele, center, leaves after injuring his left leg during the fifth inning of Chicago’s season opener against the Rangers on Thursday in Arlington, Texas. Gareth Patterson/Associated Press
The Chicago Cubs placed left-hander Justin Steele on the 15-day injured list Saturday and expect their Opening-Day starter to miss at least a month after straining his left hamstring against the Texas Rangers.
The Cubs recalled right-hander Ben Brown from Triple-A Iowa, with the 24-year-old in line to make his major league debut after getting two starts among five appearances in spring training.
Steele had six strikeouts when he exited with two outs in the fifth inning of the defending World Series champion Rangers’ 4-3 victory in 10 innings in the opener Thursday. The teams were off Friday.
A first-time All-Star last season, Steele came off the mound to field Leody Taveras’ sacrifice bunt when he lunged and fell awkwardly. He went down in foul territory, grabbing the area of his left hamstring. Steele left his first opening day start game after a brief visit from an athletic trainer.
The 28-year-old Steele was 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA in 30 starts last season, when he finished fifth in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
Brown was 6-8 with a 5.33 ERA in 22 games, including 15 starts, for Triple-A Iowa last season. A 33rd-round draft pick by Philadelphia in 2017, Brown was acquired in a 2022 trade that sent reliever David Robertson to the Phillies.
YANKEES: Third baseman DJ LeMahieu has a broken right foot and will be sidelined longer than originally anticipated.
The 35-year-old leadoff hitter has been out since fouling a ball off the foot during a spring training game on March 16 and opened the season on the 10-day injured list.
Manager Aaron Boone said that a non-displaced fracture was revealed during an MRI on Friday. The break had not been detected previously because of swelling.
Minnesota’s Royce Lewis celebrates as he crosses the plate after hitting a solo home run in the Twins’ season opening. Lewis was injured later in the game and will miss significant time with a quad strain. Charlie Riedel/Associated Press
TWINS: Minnesota put oft-injured infielder Royce Lewis on the injured list with what the club called a severe quad strain on Saturday, and the reigning AL Central champions are preparing to be without him for more than a month.
Lewis strained his right quad while rounding the bases on Opening Day Thursday against the Kansas City Royals. It is the fifth time the former No. 1 overall draft pick has been put on the IL in just over two seasons as a big leaguer, which includes two torn ACLs in his right knee, an oblique injury and a hamstring injury.
“It’s significant enough he’s going to have some significant time down,” said Derek Falvey, the Twins’ president of baseball operations. “It’s difficult, you know, not just because of Game 1, but because of how much work he’s put in, and how much time and effort. His offseason was great. I’ve never seen him in as good of shape as he’s in right now.
“So, these things happen,” Falvey said, “in all sports. And it’s really unfortunate. He prepared better than anybody.”
The 24-year-old Lewis, who had raised hopes in Minnesota of a breakthrough when he made it through spring training without any problems, has been exceptional when he has been healthy. He’s hit .313 with 18 homers and 58 RBI in just 71 games.
The Braves placed All-Star catcher Sean Murphy on the injured list with a strained left oblique. Chris Szagola/Associated Press
BRAVES: The Atlanta Braves placed All-Star catcher Sean Murphy on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique muscle.The Braves added catcher Chadwick Tromp to the major league roster. Tromp will serve as Travis d’Arnaud’s backup while Murphy is out. D’Arnaud was batting eighth in Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Murphy was injured Friday on a swing in the seventh inning of Atlanta’s 9-3 win over Philadelphia in the season opener. He was a first-time All-Star last season.
“I hate it for him. One of those freak things that happen in baseball,” Braves Manager Brian Snitker said.
RAYS: First baseman Dominic Smith has agreed to a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays and will report to Triple-A Durham.
The 33-year-old hit .254 with 12 homers and 46 RBI over 153 games with the Washington Nationals last season. He spent the previous six years with the New York Mets and is a .246 career hitter with 58 home runs and 225 RBI.
NATIONALS: Washington’s Nick Senzel won’t require surgery on his broken right hand, and Manager Dave Martinez isn’t sure when the third baseman will return.
“It comes down to pain tolerance now,” Martinez said.
Senzel fractured a bone in thumb when a ball took a bad hop during batting practice before Thursday’s opener against the Reds. He was put on the 10-day injured list, and the Nationals selected the contract of infielder Trey Lipscomb from Triple-A Rochester. Lipscomb hit .400 (20 for 50) in spring training with one homer and seven RBI in 21 games.
SATURDAY’S GAMES
PIRATES 9, MARLINS 3: Jared Jones struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings to win his major league debut and lead the Pirates in Miami.
A 22-year-old right-hander taken by Pittsburgh with the 44th pick in the 2020 amateur draft, Jones allowed three runs, three hits and two walks. He threw 62 of 89 pitches for strikes, including 22 swings and misses. His fastball topped at 99.9 mph and averaged 97.1 mph.
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