Cubs’ Tsuyoshi Wada making progress with hamstring injury

The Chicago Cubs are very fortunate to be heading into the upcoming 2015 season without an extensive list of injuries. However, there is one small bump in the road for Cubs, and that’s left-handed pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada

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According to Cubs.com’s Carrie Muskat, Wada has been suffering through a tight left hamstring at Spring Training. Thankfully, the injury is nothing serious. On Saturday, the 34-year-old threw a batting-practice session.

Right-hander’s Jason Hammel, Dallas Beeler, Justin GrimmArmando Rivero, and Jorge De Leon, and left-hander’s Travis Wood and Hunter Cervenka threw alongside Wada.

Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon shared encouraging words regarding Wada’s batting-practice session:

“I thought he threw the ball really well. I did not see any kind of restriction. He looked very, very healthy. The ball had a lot of movement on it. He looked good for his first time out after having been restricted because of his leg.”

With Chicago, Wada finished the 2014 season with a 3.25 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. He pitched in 69.1 innings and compiled a 4-4 record, along with 57 strikeouts.

Does Wada still have a chance at making Chicago’s starting rotation? It’s still a distinct possibility. The southpaw needs to impress in Mesa. He does however have great competition, as Wood, Jacob TurnerEdwin Jackson and Felix Doubront are among the other pitchers in the midst of wide open competition for spots in the back-end of the rotation.

The team’s first 2015 Spring Training game begins on March 5, in which the Cubs will have split-squad games against the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants. The Cubs will face the Athletics at Sloan Park, while the other squad plays the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium.

Next: Strop ready to dominate again in 2015