‘Impacted me a lot:' Stroman changed mechanics to cope with hip injury
‘Impacted me a lot:' Stroman changed mechanics to cope with hip injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman has been placed on the injured list with a hip ailment, and while he hopes to miss just one start, he says that the injury forced him to drastically alter his mechanics.
Stroman, who has seen his ERA balloon from 2.28 to 3.85 in his last seven starts, spoke to media after his injury was made public on Wednesday, detailing the struggles he’s gone through.
“It’s impacted me a lot,’ he said. “I’ve been trying to get around it. I’ve been messing with my hands and timing, and trying to drive in different ways to the plate.”
Stroman has allowed at least three earned runs in six of his last seven starts, including six earned runs in just three innings against the Reds on Monday night.
He has also struggled badly with his control, allowing a total of 15 walks in his last six starts, and he says that the hip injury continued to deteriorate in recent weeks.
“It’s one of those things that kind of lingered and progressively got worse, and got to the point where I couldn’t fire my glute or my quad or anything around my hip,” he said.
Stroman told media he had gotten an anti-inflammatory shot this week, and that he was optimistic he would only be forced to miss one start. He says the injury has made it uncomfortable for him to sit, and described a “pinchy” sensation whenever he would move the hip.
On the year, Stroman has a 10-8 record and a 3.85 ERA, with 111 strikeouts.
His next turn in the rotation is slated for Saturday. Hayden Wesneski is currently on the Cubs’ 26-man roster, and could potentially fill in for the start against the Atlanta Braves.
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