SAD NEWS: Cubs Receive Worrying Update Regarding *Javier Assad*. More Details

With Justin Steele now out for the season due to injury, the Cubs were hoping to rely on Javier Assad to help stabilize their rotation.

But Assad, who’s been recovering from a mild left oblique strain, may have hit a setback during his rehab outing on Tuesday. In his second start for Triple-A Iowa, he exited the game before the fifth inning after appearing to grab at his side while warming up.Prior to that, Assad had pitched four innings, allowing two runs and striking out five on 67 pitches. His first rehab appearance was on April 15, when he gave up just one run in 3 1/3 innings.

The 27-year-old originally sustained the oblique injury in February. Last season, he was a solid contributor to the Cubs’ rotation, posting a 3.73 ERA across 147 innings in 29 starts.

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