Chicago Cubs Star Missed Monday's Spring Training Game With Hamstring Tightness

The Chicago Cubs have played well this spring training, and they have stayed relatively healthy.

But that changed on Monday.

Pete Crow-Armstrong was slated to play center field and bat first in the order. However, something happened before the game which is cause for concern.

Per Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, Craig Counsell and the Cubs made the decision to hold the rising star out of the game because he was experiencing some hamstring tightness.

It was just precautionary, so it is not considered to be anything serious. However, when a player like Crow-Armstrong hurts his hamstring, there is always going to be a little bit of worry.

The 22-year-old became a fixture in the lineup during 2024. He played in 123 games while batting .237/.286/.384 with 10 home runs, 47 RBI, 46 run scored and 27 stolen bases.

Defensively, he became one of the best center fielders in the MLB as he collected eight outfield assists. Additionally, he finished 2024 in the 97th percentile in Outs Above Average (14) and the 96th percentile in arm strength (93.0 mph).

That type of defense will no doubt win him some Gold Glove awards in the big leagues.

His strength is in his fielding, but the former first-round pick has been able to hit the ball much better this spring.

Heading into Monday, he was 7-for-14 with one home run, three doubles, four RBI and four runs scored in five games played. He has not had the chance to showcase his speed much, but he does have one stolen base.

There was never a question whether or not Crow-Armstrong would make the team out of spring training, so making him sit a couple games for precautionary reasons is not a huge deal.

But, the reason why the hamstring ailment is so concerning is because he relies on his speed.

Crow-Armstrong's legs allow him to take extra bases, steal bags with ease and track balls down in the gap. In fact, the California native ranks in the 99th percentile in sprint speed, so he is one of the fastest players in the MLB.

As of right now, Chicago is not worried about his long-term status.

The Cubs play two games in Tokyo against the Los Angeles Dodgers in two weeks, so they want to be extra sure about his health.

As mentioned, the scratch from the lineup is just a precautionary move, but it is worth keeping an eye on as Opening Day creeps closer.