Jordan Wicks placed on 15-day IL, Keegan Thompson called up from Triple-A Iowa originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
After leaving Friday afternoon’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning, Cubs left-hander Jordan Wicks will return to the injured list with a strained right oblique, the club announced Saturday.
Right-hander Keegan Thompson will fill the shoes of Wicks, who will return to Chicago for his third stint with the big league club in 2024.
So far this year, Wicks has posted a 1-2 record with a 4.18 ERA in 28 innings of work, walking 10 batters and striking out 32.
Thompson, a 29-year-old swingman with notable starting experience, will try to provide some semblance of stability to a big league pitching staff that has dealt with injuries and performance issues essentially nonstop since the start of the 2024 season.
With the MLB club in 2024, Thompson is 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA in nine relief appearances, with a 3.61 FIP suggesting he has been unlucky. Thompson posted six walks and 19 strikeouts in 12.2 innings with the big league club this season.
Thompson also worked exclusively out of the pen in Des Moines, with a 4.40 ERA in 10 games and 14.1 innings with the Iowa Cubs.
The Cubs will try to even the series against the rival Cardinals at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 1:20 p.m.