Bunt Had No Factor In Patrick Wisdom's Health

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross came under heavy scrutiny, having one of their best power hitters bunt in a key moment of the game.

Ryan Sikes | Apr 4, 2023

Bunt Had No Factor In Patrick Wisdom's Health /

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The Chicago Cubs dropped their third straight game on Monday night, but the much bigger concern was the immediate health of Patrick Wisdom.

The third baseman was hit by a pitch in the wrist/forearm area in the fifth inning. Wisdom grimaced but remained in the game and came around to score on Eric Hosmer's two-run double.

However, with the first two batters reaching base in the top half of the 7th inning, Wisdom bunted to move the runners over. The Cubs trailed by a run at the time, but Ross's decision to have the Cubs biggest bat give himself up was confusing.

The Cubs did not score in the inning.

After the game, Ross indicated that Wisdom's health played no part in his decision to have him bunt in that situation.

‘‘I had some debate in my mind whether to let him swing [on] 3-1,’’ he said. ‘‘Didn’t, and it was a bad result. But he’s a really good bunter, a really good player. I thought the matchup favored us getting that guy over.’’

Wisdom attempted to begin a rally with two outs in the 9th inning, lining a single into right field, which is good news on the health front.

He received X-rays after the game, which came back negative, so we'll see if he's able to go on Tuesday night in Game 2 against the Reds.

Still, it was a confusing decision not to let Wisdom swing in that situation, especially from a player who has led this club in home runs in each of the last two seasons.

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Published Apr 4, 2023

RYAN SIKES

Ryan is a Chicago Cubs writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside The Cubs, an IBWAA member, and has followed the Cubs since the mid-1990s. He grew up in the Rockford area and used to attend a handful of games every summer at Wrigley Field, including Aramis Ramirez's walkoff home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in 2007 after the Cubs trailed 5-0.He attended the University of Iowa and currently resides in the western suburbs. In addition to covering the Cubs, he covers the USHL for FloHockey and NCAA hockey for College Hockey News. When he's not writing or watching sports, he enjoys hanging out with his wife and three kids.