Cubs left fielder wont be appearing in games for the time being after he suffered a mild hamstring strain during a game earlier this week, club manager told reporters (including ). Counsell added that the club remains optimistic that Happ will be ready for Opening Day, though he added Cameron Johnson Jersey that the 29-year-old will need to get additional reps in before Spring Training comes to a close in order to be ready for the start of the season. The ninth-overall pick in the 2015 draft, Happ is entering the first year of the three-year, $61MM extension he inked with the Cubs early last season. The switch-hitter has settled in to become one of the clubs most reliable regulars in recent seasons, slashing a solid .259/.351/.435 (119 wRC+) acro s the past two seasons while earning his first career All Star appearance during the 2022 season and back-to-back Gold Glove awards in left field. In 2023, Happ posted a career-best 22.1% strikeout rate while walking at an impre sive 14.3% clip. That strong plate discipline has left Happ as a key piece of the clubs core entering the 2023 season alongside the likes of , , , and . Losing Happ for any amount of time entering the regular season would surely be a blow to the Cubs, though Chicago has plenty of other options for its outfield mix available should their longest-tenured hitter start the season on the shelf. With top outfield prospect expected to begin the season at the Triple-A level, the likes of and figure to be the most likely options for a reserve outfield spot with the big league club to open the season currently on the 40-man roster. Veteran left fielder is also in camp with the club after signing on a last month, with slugging prospect also among the clubs non-roster invitees. More from around the NL Central Pirates outfielders and have yet to appear this spring after being slowed by injuries entering camp, though manager Derek Shelton recently told reporters (including those at ) that each figures to see the field at some point in the next week. McCutchen, 37, has been working on defensive drills and taking swings this spring while rehabbing the partially torn achilles that ended his 2023 campaign in early September. The veteran figures to enter the 2024 season penciled in as the clubs regular DH, though he did make occasional appearances in right field last season. Palacios, meanwhile, figures to battle with the likes of and for playing time in the outfield alongside regulars and . The 28-year-old slashed .239/.279/.413 in 91 games with Pittsburgh last year but has been slowed this spring by a lower leg injury. Cardinals southpaw spoke to reporters (including ) recently about his goals for the coming season, and while he indicated that he still hopes to have a future with the club as a starting pitcher at some point, right now his priority is contributing in the majors regardle s of his role. Liberatore struggled to a 5.88 ERA in 11 starts for the Cardinals last year but was dominant out of the bullpen, posting a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings of work with a 24.5% strikeout rate. The clubs starting five appears set with , , , , and all poised to take spots in the rotation, though Liberatore has stretched out as a starter alongside the likes of with Worthy noting that manager Oli Marmol hasnt ruled out the po sibility of opening the season with a six-man rotation. Dan Majerle Jersey