"I Felt Like My Leg Was Being Poked With Needles": Pete Crow-Armstrong Opens Up About Painful Injury After Cubs' Heartbreaking Loss
Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong left the field in agony during a 1-2 loss to the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field on Saturday after a brutal knee injury in the sixth inning. Crow-Armstrong, 22, made a throwing error and felt immediate pain in his right knee. Limping down the third base line, he knelt for a moment before completing his at-bat with a walk. Despite his discomfort, he stayed on base but was replaced by Kevin Alcantara in the seventh inning for defensive purposes.
After the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed that Crow-Armstrong was in pain but that the X-rays showed no structural damage. The young outfielder, however, revealed the intensity of his injury and his decision to leave the game.
"It was one of the worst pains I’ve ever felt. My leg felt like it was being hit with needles. I knew I couldn’t help the team if I wasn’t moving right, so I made the tough call to step off. I hate letting the team down, but this injury... it’s something I’ve never felt before," Crow-Armstrong shared. "I had to be honest with myself. It was better to step out and not risk making things worse."
Crow-Armstrong, who has been one of the Cubs’ most dynamic players this season, reflected on the unusual pain he experienced. “I’ve never had a ball hit straight into my knee like that. It was a new kind of pain, and it was sharp, like my leg was being poked with needles. It’s how I help the team, with my legs. So yeah, it really hurt.”
The injury has added to the Cubs’ already weakened outfield. Starting outfielder Kyle Tucker is also sidelined due to a left calf strain, and the team has yet to place him on the injured list. Counsell stated that both players will be monitored closely, with Tucker potentially available off the bench for Sunday’s game. Meanwhile, injured pitchers Mike Soroka and Jameson Taillon are making progress in their recovery, with Taillon expected to rejoin the rotation later this week.
Offensively, the Cubs struggled at home, managing only seven walks throughout the game. Crow-Armstrong scored the team’s lone run in the second inning, leading off with a double, advancing on a groundout by Nico Hoerner, and scoring on a groundout by Carson Kelly. However, multiple double plays throughout the game, including in the first, sixth, and seventh innings, halted potential rallies. The Cubs ended the game with just three hits and seven walks, marking the 13th time in history that the Cubs walked at least seven times but recorded three or fewer hits. Their record in such games stands at 4-9.
On the mound, left-hander Matthew Boyd (12-8) took the loss despite a solid performance, allowing just two runs on seven hits over seven innings. Boyd set a new team record with two errors in the game, raising his total for 2025 to 10, breaking the Cubs’ previous single-season record for pitcher errors. Nationals rookie Brad Lord earned the win, allowing just one run on two hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven.
A crucial home run from Daylen Lile in the fourth inning proved to be the difference.
The Cubs, now holding an 81-61 record, will conclude their series with the Nationals on Sunday before facing the Atlanta Braves in a three-game series leading into their next off-day on Thursday.
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How surprise Red Sox hero used ‘spring training’ mentality to provide key hit in comeback win
Nick Sogard was the pinch-hit hero for the Red Sox in a dramatic win Sunday. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)Getty Images
Entering Sunday’s series finale in Arizona, Nick Sogard had made just seven major league plate appearances in the last two-plus months. He was a curious choice, then, for a key pinch-hit plate appearance in the ninth inning of a close game.
But with Boston’s roster limited and Alex Cora looking for a good matchup against Diamondbacks righty Jordan Rashi, it was Sogard who was called upon. Appearing as a pinch-hitter for just the third time as a big leaguer, the 27-year-old utility man stepped to the plate in place of Connor Wong with two men on and two outs in a 4-4 game. He answered the call by roping a Rashi splitter into the left field gap for a two-run double that gave the Red Sox the lead for good in a 7-4 win.
With Roman Anthony (oblique) and Wilyer Abreu (calf) both on the injured list, Cora has limited options at his disposal. On Sunday, his bench consisted of the rather inexperienced and uninspiring quintet of Sogard, Romy Gonzalez, Nate Eaton, Ali Sánchez and starting catcher Carlos Narváez, who was off with Wong catching Brayan Bello.
That bench group delivered in the ninth, with Gonzalez’s one-out single and an Eaton walk setting the table. By the time the No. 9 spot came around, Sogard was the clear answer in Cora’s mind.
“He’s gonna put the ball in play. He’s a good hitter,” said Cora. “We felt like that was the right matchup there. Took two pitches, didn’t panic and shot the ball the other way.”
Sogard has been a Worcester staple over the last three seasons but has been limited with his contributions in the big leagues, where he has played just 51 games. After a cameo down the stretch in 2024, Sogard didn’t make the Opening Day roster this year and struggled (.608 OPS) in a 14-game May cameo while Boston was looking for first base fill-in options after Triston Casas’ season-ending knee injury. Since then, Sogard has been a cameo member of the roster. He came up for three games in late June when Marcelo Mayer was on the bereavement list, then returned for a couple games at the end of August when Nathaniel Lowe hit the paternity list. He wasn’t initially a September call-up when rosters expanded to 28 but rejoined the Red Sox under unfortunate circumstances when Anthony went down in the middle of last week. Before Sunday, he had just five extra-base hits — and four RBIs — in the big leagues all season.
That mattered little in front of a pro-Red Sox crowd at Chase Field.
“It’s definitely different going from playing every day to this role, but with more time, I’ll continue to get more comfortable with it,” Sogard said. “I almost treat it like a big league spring training game. You go in, in the middle of the game, and you’ve just got to execute.”
Injuries and roster attrition have forced the Red Sox to test their depth in the final weeks of the season. In its effort to avoid a sweep Sunday, Boston started David Hamilton at second base and Rob Refsnyder in right field, used every bench player except Sánchez and even turned to September call-up Zack Kelly to pitch the seventh inning of a one-run game. While there are games to be won, October tryouts are playing out in real time.
“Everybody’s engaged,” said Cora. “We’re gonna grind. We’ve been hurt, we’ve been banged up throughout the season, and we’ve been able to put ourselves in this situation.
“We talked to the guys a few weeks ago. Just be ready.
Sunday’s victory over a surging D-Backs team didn’t clinch a postseason spot for the Red Sox or provide some sort of monumental step as they look to return to the postseason for the first time in four years. But after three sleepy defeats in the wake of Anthony’s injury, it felt important. The Red Sox head to Sacramento five games clear of the in/out line in the wild card race with 18 games to go.
Expect more surprising heroes to pop up over those final 18 games.
“We’re going to continue to use everybody, maximize the roster and try to win as many games as possible to make it to October,” said Cora.
