The latest Chicago Cubs injury speaks to their strength

It was announced Saturday that Ian Happ suffered a mild left hamstring strain and will miss some time this Spring. While the reports indicate the Cubs feel good about him being ready for Opening Day, hamstring issues can be tricky, and exact timetables for return get fuzzy. As reported by The Athletic's Cubs beat Sahadev Sharma; there is no official timetable for Happ yet.

While it's naturally concerning the Cubs starting left fielder is battling hamstring ailments, the good news is the organization is filled with outfield depth. Regardless of what Happ's timetable turns out to be, the Cubs will not be void of guys who can fill in. Options are plentiful, including those on and not currently on the 40-man roster.

Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki are locks to make the team as everyday guys, while it's unknown if Pete Crow-Armstrong (who is on the 40-man) will be on the Opening Day roster or in Triple-A to start the year. Assuming Crow-Armstrong starts in Iowa, Bellinger will likely man much of his time in center to start. If Happ's timetable turns out to be longer than expected, the 40-man roster also has Alexander Canario, Brennen Davis, Mike Tauchman, and Kevin Alcántara as listed outfielders.

Tauchman is the veteran who can play all outfield positions and is an okay option for the short term—still, more of an ideal bench/late-inning defensive sub guy long-term. Davis, who started Spring red hot, is in concussion protocol but will hopefully be good soon. The one that stands out right now is Canario. He is a legit DH candidate for the team right now with Christopher Morel trying to work things out at third, but he can be called upon to play outfield if needed. Canario got a small taste of the majors last year and posted a .941 OPS in 17 at-bats.

The Chicago Cubs are littered with outfield depth.

While Canario has played mostly center and right, he has some experience in left and it's not out of the question to play him there. Or, things can be moved around if Bellinger played some games at first, with Canario in center, Tauchman in left, and Suzuki in right. The flexibility and versatility of the roster help along with its depth.

The 40-man is not the only source of outfield depth. In terms of prospects, another outfielder really turning some heads so far is Owen Caissie. He hit .289/.399/.519 with 22 homers and a .918 OPS in Double-A Tennessee last year. In his first 14 plate appearances in Spring, he hit .636 with a home run and five RBI. Something to keep an eye on as he closes in on the Majors. However, more likely to start the year in terms of bringing another outfielder onto the 40-man roster is veteran David Peralta, who signed a Minor League deal in late February. Peralta is a lefty who can play the corner outfield very well. He could be a dark horse, regardless of Happ's timetable, to make the Opening Day roster if the Cubs feel he will provide more value than Tauchman as a veteran depth piece.

The point here is that the Cubs have plenty of depth in the outfield. Hopefully, Happ will be good for Opening Day, but there is plenty of insurance if he isn't.

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