Breaking: Cody Bellinger Has Fractured Ribs, Cubs Call PCA Up

Initially, we thought the Chicago Cubs escaped another terrible injury when Cody Bellinger made contact with the center field wall on Tuesday night in a win against the Houston Astros. His spirits were high, and he joked that he was more worried about the wall postgame. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Cubs Manager Craig Counsell joined Chicago's Sports Radio 670 the Score on Wednesday and revealed Bellinger has two fractured right ribs due to making contact with the wall. He has been added to the Cubs' injured list. His recovery timetable is unknown at this time.

In correspondence, the Cubs have called prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong up to take his spot on the active roster.

On Tuesday, Bellinger hit a home run in his first at-bat that almost cleared the right-field bleachers. In the fourth inning, he ran into the wall going after a ball that ended up being an RBI double by Yanier Diaz. He came to bat one more time before being replaced by Alexander Canario in the seventh inning. He was seen in discomfort talking to trainers in the dugout before heading to the clubhouse.

PCA will join the Cubs tonight in Chicago. He was a favorite to make the big-league team before the roster shaped the way it did. So far in AAA Iowa, PCA has a batting average of .203 with two home runs. He is still seeking his first MLB hit after 17 tries at the end of 2023. He will get his chance, potentially as soon as tonight.

The Cubs have now lost Bellinger, Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, Julian Merryweather, Patrick Wisdom, and Seiya Suzuki for an extended time at some point this season. They've played a remarkably challenging schedule. However, the team still finds themselves above .500 and fighting for the division lead.