Miguel Amaya injury leaves Cubs fans broken in one of season’s saddest moments

Miguel Amaya is one of those players who plays every game like it's his last. You could see how happy he was to be back on the field with his teammates after missing more than two months with an oblique injury - which made how his night ended even more heartbreaking.

The 26-year-old backstop had to be carted off the field after suffering a gruesome-looking leg injury while trying to beat out a close play at first. With tears in his eyes, Amaya departed - and instantly, fans, broadcasters and players alike started showing their support - and emotions.

After the game, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said the initial diagnosis is a left ankle sprain and X-rays were negative. Even so, Amaya is headed to the injured list and will be evaluated more once swelling goes down.

One of Amaya's usual batterymates, Justin Steele, who is out for the season with an injury of his own, chimed in on X, offering his support and acknowledging the toll of rehabbing from an injury, something he's all too familiar with given how his 2025 has played out.

Wednesday's starter, Cade Horton, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth with Amaya behind the plate, had nothing but praise for his catcher. The right-hander departed after 5 2/3 innings, striking out a career-high eight batters. His scoreless innings streak was snapped at an impressive 28 1/3 frames.

On the broadcast, longtime Cubs color commentator and former big leaguer Jim Deshaies watched on in horror, saying, "I don't know that I've ever wanted to cry for a guy more than I want to cry for Miguel Amaya right now. So disappointing."

Part-time Marquee play-by-play man Alex Cohen, who grew intimately familiar with Amaya during his time as the voice of the Iowa Cubs, gave his own emotional reaction to the injury, as well.

Fans, players, broadcasters unite behind an injured Miguel Amaya

Those close to the organization weren't the only ones chiming in. Bloggers, beat writers and fans all sent well wishes and thoughts to the Cubs' backstop, seemingly attempting to will the injury to somehow be less severe than it looked on replay.

We'll keep you posted as we get more updates on Amaya's status. The Cubs picking up the victory in what felt like a must-win game is nice, but it's certainly hard to enjoy it as we all wait to hear more on the young Cubs catcher.