Reds, Pirates, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs: The good, bad, and injured

The NL Central injured

Now we get to the unpredictable, downright irritating, and plan-changing injuries. How well a team can stay healthy in the summer, recover from injuries and keep conditioning themselves is a significant part of making a playoff run.

The Cubs have been pretty fortunate on the injury front. Justin Steele is back and in good form after returning from his stint on the IL. The only significant injury right now is Patrick Wisdom. He left for a 10-day trip to the IL on June 17 and should be back in the lineup by the month’s end.

The Brewers have been a bit hard this year with the injuries plague. They lost star rookie Garrett Mitchell for the season in early May; additionally, the top two starters in their rotation went down. Wade Miley is back and pitching well, and Brandon Woodruff is set to throw a bull in session Saturday. His 60-day trip could be coming to an end soon.

Young outfielder Sal Frelick is out of the lineup Saturday and is listed as day-to-day. Hopefully, it’s just a minute issue, and he will be back this week.

Ben Lively will miss his start Sunday for the red-hot Reds and may be headed to the IL. In the past week, Hunter Greene has earned a 15-day vacation and will be recovering from a right hip issue. He should be back by the break. Also, Nick Lodolo, who has been on the IL since early May, got some positive results from an MRI but still is targeting mid-August for a return.

In Pittsburgh, Bryan Reynolds is heading for a 10-day trip as of June 22, and Jose Hernandez will get 15 from the 18th as he nurses a right calf strain.

Lastly, we get to the Cardinals. Saturday, they listed Jack Flaherty, Nolan Gorman, and Jordan Hicks as day-to-day. Not time to panic, but that isn’t great for the struggling Cards.

On a positive note, Tyler O’Neill was cleared to play catch and take swings last week. His 60-plus-day stint should be coming to an end soon.