Jon Lester's hot start at the plate this season has cost him.
The Cubs ace, who left Monday's home opener against the Pirates in the top of the third inning with left hamstring tightness, is headed the 10-day injured list, ESPN.com reported Tuesday, citing an unidentified source.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon said that Lester will miss one or two starts but didn't confirm a trip to the IL in an appearance Tuesday on 670 The Score radio in Chicago.
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"Of course he's going to miss a start," Maddon said on "The Laurence Holmes Show."
Lester was scheduled to get an MRI exam Tuesday, an off-day for the Cubs (3-7) and Pirates before they play again Wednesday.
Lester felt tightness he described as feeling like a cramp after he gave a couple of maximum-effort plays on the bases in the bottom of the second Monday. He still was able to joke about his injury the same day he apparently was headed to the IL.
"Sometimes when you have elite speed these things can happen," he tweeted Tuesday.
Sometimes when you have elite speed these things can happen. Great to get the W in front of the home crowd though, here's to many, many, many more! #NVRQT
— Jon Lester (@JLester34) April 9, 2019
Lester had helped key a six-run Cubs outburst in the second inning with a two-out RBI double to left-center that required him to hustle and slide into second.
Big Jon hittin' a cool .667 this season.#EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/Hqmqh7WqEn
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 8, 2019
He then had to do the same at home plate to score behind Jason Heyward on a subsequent single to right by Ben Zobrist.
Though Lester didn't show any signs of distress after scoring and came back out to the mound to start the third inning, he didn't last long. Pirates reliever Steven Brault led off the third with a single, then a pair of balls to Adam Frazier led to a quick mound visit from the Cubs' trainer. Joe Maddon came to get him for good after Frazier followed with another hit.
After first two pitches here, Lester was met on mound by Maddon and Cubs head athletic trainer. Threw three more and Maddon pulled the lefty from the game. No word yet on what was ailing him, but finish on pitches looked off. pic.twitter.com/w4TNifjBZ7
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) April 8, 2019
Brad Brach took over for Lester, ensuring a long day for the Cubs' bullpen despite their hefty early lead.
Lester, who has reached base in four of his five plate appearances this season, was next scheduled to start Sunday against the Angels.
"You have to start developing plan B. We'll start developing plan B. We have different options," Maddon said.
Tyler Chatwood could get the start Sunday in Lester's spot in the rotation.
Relatively injury-free for almost a decade, Lester, 35, has made at least 31 starts every season since 2008. The other starters in the Cubs rotation are Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels, Kyle Hendricks and Jose Quintana.
"We have to figure out how we're going to work it from there," Maddon said. "Mike Montgomery is on the DL right now, so you have to wait on him. I think Tyler Chatwood has been throwing the ball well. And again, I don't even know if the guys upstairs have other thoughts regarding this."
