Chicago Cubs ace Jon Lester will be placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday and miss “one, maybe two” starts with a hamstring strain, manager Joe Maddon announced.
The left-hander got hurt while running the bases during the Cubs’ six-run second inning in Monday’s home opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He doubled home a run and later scored from second base on a single by Ben Zobrist.
Lester, 35, attempted to come out and pitch in the third inning but was removed from the game due to discomfort. Chicago went on to win, 10-0.
Despite the injury, Lester maintained his sense of humor. “Sometimes when you have elite speed these things can happen,” he tweeted Tuesday morning.
Lester is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three starts this season. The five-time All-Star is 178-98 with a 3.49 ERA in 14 major league seasons.