Cubs reliever Trent Thornton hoping to avoid IL after he was struck on heel by comebacker

CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs reliever Trent Thornton is day to day with a bruised left heel after he was struck by a comebacker.

Thornton had a CT scan on Tuesday that showed no fractures. He played catch before the Cubs' 11-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers, and the right-hander was optimistic about avoiding a stint on the injured list.

“I got very lucky,” he said. “Definitely a lot of positive signs today.”

Thornton came in to pitch the 10th inning in the Cubs' series opener against the Tigers. But he was helped off the field after he was hit by Riley Greene’s 108.9 mph liner.

The 32-year-old Thornton credited his Mizuno cleats with helping him avoid serious injury. He was wearing a model with a hard shell right at the heel, while his other cleats have a soft outer shell for that area of the foot.

The Cubs used seven relievers during Monday night's 8-6 loss, but they are off on Thursday.

Thornton got hurt on the same day that fellow reliever Phil Maton went on the 15-day IL for the third time this season with right knee tendinitis.

Manager Craig Counsell said Maton received a platelet-rich plasma injection on Tuesday. He is expected to have no significant activity for the next three weeks.

Utilityman Matt Shaw is traveling to the team's complex in Arizona this weekend and may start swinging a bat soon. Shaw was placed on the IL on June 29 with a sprained left hand.

“The good news was the additional imaging showed improved healing,” Counsell said. “That makes Matt feel good, obviously, so we just got to get through the last little bit.”

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