Cubs Injury News: Marcus Stroman still has 'long way' to go before he returns

Marcus Stroman has long been known as one of the fittest players in the league - and, as Cubs skipper David Ross pointed out this week - if anyone is going to outperform estimates when it comes to returning from an injury, it's the two-time All-Star.

"It looked like he was in good spirits, and he felt like he was in a good place. If there is a guy that's going to move quicker than expected, it would be a guy that takes care of his body like he does. Obviously, playing catch is exciting, but it's a long way away from competing in a big league game for multiple innings."

As he neared a return from an IL stint caused by hip inflammation, he was scratched from his scheduled start against the White Sox for a totally different injury: torn rib cartilage. Now, a couple weeks removed from that diagnosis, there are positive signs, but it remains to be seen if there's enough time left in the regular season for Stroman to not only make his way back, but be healthy enough to be effective, as well.

Cubs need Marcus Stroman to be 100% before sending him back out

It was pretty clear he wasn't right for some time before the hip injury was announced and he hit the IL following an ineffective start against the Reds on July 31, in which he allowed six earned runs in just three innings of work. So you can bet the Cubs aren't just looking to rush him back and hope for the best because given how well pitching at less than 100 percent was going, it's clear he needs all parts of his body in sync to do what he did early in the year for this team.

There’s not a real timeframe, honestly, because it’s not something that we normally deal (with). I know he’s feeling better. We’re hopeful, and I think we’ll have more of a sense after he sees the doctor today, just what the rest of the month can look like.”

Maybe Stroman defies the odds and returns before the end of the regular season. The hope - and plan - though, needs to be centered around putting Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks in positions to succeed because it feels far more likely that the starts they make in the next month could go a long way toward determining the Cubs' fate than a possible late September return from Stroman.