Chicago Cubs Star Outfielder Will Miss 'Significant Time'

Another one of the Chicago Cubs impact players is going to miss extended time this season.

Jun 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman (40) reacts after injuring his leg after running to first base after hitting a single against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning at Wrigley Field. / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

It's been a rough season for the Chicago Cubs after it looked so promising to start.

Despite dealing with a myriad of injuries at the beginning of the year, they still were contending for an NL Central title and looked poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Now, they sit in last place of their division and have the third-worst record in the National League.

Many of their issues stem from their anemic bullpen who can't hold onto a lead whenever their offense does enough to the put the Cubs ahead.

If this franchise is serious about contending for a playoff spot, as they are only 1.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot, then they need to overhaul their relief staff ahead of the trade deadline.

But as they figure that out in the front office, Chicago has been presented with another problem as star outfielder Mike Tauchman left the game early on June 17 and has now been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left groin strain.

Manager Craig Counsell said "he's going to miss significant time" according to Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune. It's expected that this will take around four weeks to heal if everything goes well in his recovery.

Tauchman signed with the Cubs after spending two years overseas with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO. He provided a real spark for Chicago last season after being promoted from Triple-A when he slashed .252/.363/.377 with eight homers, 26 extra-base hits, and 48 RBI to post a 102 OPS+.

The veteran was putting together another solid year with a slash line of .259/.359/.382, five homers and 19 RBI through 66 games.

Now, the Cubs will be forced to deal with another significant injury.

The good news is their outfield group has plenty of players they can choose from with Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, and Pete Crow-Armstrong already in the mix.

Still, this is another blow to this team who can't afford one as they are struggling mightily and are seeing their playoff hopes dwindle after each crushing loss.