Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera headed to IL after being carted off the field with a left leg injury

NEW YORK (AP) — Edward Cabrera is about to join a string of starting pitchers on the Chicago Cubs' injured list.

The right-hander was carted off the field Tuesday night after hurting his left leg stretching for a throw at first base against the New York Mets.

Cabrera has a left hamstring/adductor strain. He will get an MRI on Wednesday and be placed on the IL, manager Craig Counsell said.

It's another blow to the Cubs (41-37), who already have four starters sidelined. Matthew Boyd (left meniscus) and Jameson Taillon (strained left hamstring) are on the 15-day injured list. Cade Horton (right forearm strain) and Justin Steele (left elbow) are on the 60-day IL.

That leaves Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, Ben Brown and Javier Assad as the only healthy pitchers remaining in the rotation — and Counsell was asked his level of concern.

“Concerned. Yeah, I mean, we’re in a rough spot," he said Tuesday night following a 9-6 victory. "I think we can get through it, you know, to the All-Star break. But yeah, we’re going to have to — it’s going to be a little bit of a puzzle until then.”

With two runners aboard in the fifth inning, Cabrera hustled over to cover the bag when Jared Young hit a two-out grounder wide of first.

Second baseman Nico Hoerner made a sliding stop on the outfield grass and threw to Cabrera, who went into a split as he caught the toss for the final out of the inning.

“In that moment, all I was thinking about was to get that out,” Cabrera said through an interpreter. “That's the only thing that was going through my mind.”

The 28-year-old Cabrera grabbed for the inside of his left thigh, then got to his feet and tried to walk toward the dugout. But he went back down in obvious pain and needed assistance just to stand before a cart arrived. With a towel draped over his face, he was driven off the field through an opening in the outfield wall at Citi Field.

“It was a new sensation. A feeling I never felt before,” Cabrera said. “In the moment, it did get me upset.”

A few innings later came an announcement in the press box saying Cabrera exited with a left hamstring/adductor strain.

“He’s gone through the ringer the last three starts, it seems,” teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “It’s a big bummer, for sure.”

After the game, Cabrera stood in front of his locker on crutches and said he felt better. The next step is the MRI, which could provide an idea how long he'll be sidelined.

“See what they say and then we'll go from there," Cabrera said. “I always just stay positive. That's my mindset.”

Cabrera threw 99 pitches and left with a 7-2 lead. He earned the win, improving to 5-4 with a 5.10 ERA over 14 starts in his first season with the Cubs since they acquired him from Miami in January.

Cabrera took Young's second-inning comebacker in the groin area before picking up the ball and throwing to first base for an out. He was checked on the mound by Counsell and an athletic trainer before throwing a warmup pitch and remaining in the game.

“The only thing that was going through my mind was I can't leave the game this early,” Cabrera said.

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