With Spring Training comes some injuries that pop up, and the Chicago Cubs are fully dealing with that right now.
One of their promising prospects, who was putting together a great showing, will miss some time after being concussed following getting hit by a pitch.
As a fringe player, he was hoping to play his way onto the Opening Day roster, or at the very least, put his name onto the short-list for being a potential call up if injuries happen or others perform poorly.
That's not the situation for Ian Happ.
The star outfielder was full expected to be the Cubs' starting left fielder after having his second consecutive Gold Glove season in 2023.
Unfortunately, his Opening Day availability could be in jeopardy after a concerning injury diagnosis was reported by Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic.
"Mild left hamstring strain for Ian Happ. There is optimism he'll be good to go for Opening Day. No exact timeline for when he'll return for spring training games, but he'll need a few to be ready for the season," the insider posted on his social media account.
This is concerning for Chicago.
Hamstring injuries are not something any player wants to deal with, but especially not outfielders.
Even if Happ is available on Opening Day, there's a chance this is something that lingers for a long period of time, and even throughout the season.
The 29-year-old is an important piece of this roster.
Outside of his elite defense, he also has a career slash line of .249/.343/.454 with just under 25 home runs and 80 RBI per year since his Major League debut with the Cubs in 2017.
They need him back and healthy.
The most important thing is that he full rehabs his hamstring to being completely healthy so this does not linger and hamper him all season.
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