CHICAGO -- The Cubs will be without the services of catcher Miguel Amaya for the next 4-6 weeks as he recovers from a left oblique strain, according to manager Craig Counsell.
Amaya, 26, left Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth inning and immediately went on the injured list. He'll be lost until mid-July after imaging on the area showed the strain.
"He was in pretty good pain when he left the game," Counsell said before Tuesday's contest against the Colorado Rockies. "Try to get him back before the All-Star break. That's probably the goal."
Amaya was hitting .280 with a .819 OPS before getting hurt. He has been part of a dynamic catching duo, along with veteran Carson Kelly, as the two have combined for 13 home runs and 49 runs driven this season. Now, Kelly will get the bulk of the playing time, though he has been out because of an illness the past few days. Veteran Reese McGuire was called up to take Amaya's place on the roster and delivered two home runs in his debut Sunday.
He's starting his third straight game Tuesday as Kelly recovers from his ailment.
"Our catching situation was really stable, and now we've had an injury and its next man up," general manager Jed Hoyer said. "The big part of their successes is they were really well rested. We don't have to lean on any one guy too much."
The Cubs can also call upon 21-year-old prospect Moises Ballesteros if they need more help behind the plate. He has already been called up to the majors once this season but served solely as the team's designated hitter. The Cubs want him to get more reps before he potentially returns to catch games.
"The most important thing to understand about Moises is he's 21 years old," Counsell said. "And he's playing a position that is the hardest position to play. It's so important he plays regularly at the position."
