Cubs place LHP Jordan Wicks on the 15-day IL

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs placed left-hander Jordan Wicks on the 15-day injured list on Saturday with a strained right oblique.

Manager Craig Counsell said Wicks has a Grade 2 strain.

“We're kind of like just seeing how that progresses, but he's going to miss some time here,” Counsell said after Chicago's 5-1 victory over St. Louis.

Wicks departed Friday's 3-0 loss to the Cardinals in the second inning. He walked off the field with a trainer after surrendering a two-out single to Dylan Carlson.

It was Wicks’ first start and second appearance since returning from a strained left forearm. He was sidelined for six weeks.

Right-hander Keegan Thompson was recalled from Triple-A Iowa to replace Wicks on the roster. Thompson is 1-1 with a 4.97 ERA in nine relief appearances with the Cubs this year.

The 24-year-old Wicks is 1-2 with a 4.18 ERA in seven games, six starts, with Chicago this season. He was a first-round pick in the 2021 amateur draft out of Kansas State.

With Wicks and Ben Brown sidelined by injuries, Kyle Hendricks likely will return to the rotation. The 34-year-old Hendricks has pitched 8 2/3 scoreless innings across three relief appearances this month, but he is 0-4 with a 10.57 ERA in seven starts this season.

Right-hander Yency Almonte is nearing a rehab stint in the minors after he threw live batting practice in Arizona on Friday. The reliever is on the IL with a shoulder strain.

“We've got one more live scheduled that will happen kind of at a place to be determined on Monday or Tuesday,” Counsell said, “and then he will go out for a rehab assignment.”

Caleb Kilian (32 pitches) and Julian Merryweather (26 pitches) each had a bullpen session on Friday. Kilian is coming back from a right shoulder strain, and Merryweather is on the IL with a rib stress fracture.