One of the themes of the 2019 Chicago Cubs has been a maddening, consistent repetition of mistakes. From poor bullpen management to questionable lineup decisions, it feels like we as fans have been strapped into a Clockwork Orange style chair and forced to watch the same movie over, and over, and over again.
By that analogy, one of the movies we’ve had to watch on repeat more than most is a puzzling reluctance or inability to meaningfully react to player injuries. We’ve seen this with situations ranging to Javier Báez’s pair of significant injuries to Anthony Rizzo’s recent non-placement on the injured list despite missing eight days with back issues.