Chicago Cubs

Cubs Closer Brandon Morrow Shut Down After Getting Injection in Elbow

Morrow missed the second half of last season and has yet to pitch this season

Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said reliever Brandon Morrow had an injection in his right elbow on Monday and won't throw for two or three weeks.

Morrow is coming back from offseason elbow surgery. Originally expected to miss the first month of the regular season, he was shut down recently after not recovering well from a bullpen session.

Morrow posted a 1.47 ERA last season for the Cubs, but only appeared in 35 games as he struggled with health issues throughout the year. The reliever signed a two-year pact with the Cubs prior to the 2018 campaign, but is in danger of missing a significant chunk of this season if he can’t get back on the mound.

Despite the setbacks, Epstein still believes that Morrow will be an effective contributor for the Cubs this season.

“I think he will. I think he’ll come back,” Epstein told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Obviously, there’s a risk. There’s a risk with his injury history and things that have happened even here. But we’re hopeful that he’ll help us.”

Morrow missed the second half of the 2018 campaign due to injury, and was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his elbow. He underwent surgery over the winter to remove cartilage from the elbow, and it prevented him from getting on the mound during spring training.

Originally expected to miss a month of time, Morrow instead will miss at least double that and possibly more.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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