The Cubs have ruled out shortstop Addison Russell for the upcoming NL Championship Series because of a moderate hamstring strain, manager Joe Maddon said Thursday.
Russell, 21, injured his left hamstring while rounding second base on a triple to left field in the Cubs’ Game 3 win against the Cardinals in the NL Division Series.
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Russell played 142 games in the regular season as a rookie and finished with a .242/.307/.389 slash line, 13 home runs and 54 RBIs. Starlin Castro, a three-time All-Star, is the backup shortstop.
The NLCS begins Saturday with the Cubs facing the winner between the Mets and Dodgers.