The Chicago Cubs earned a 6-3 victory over the NL West leading Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. But before the game was made final, closer Porter Hodge had to battle through a worrying health scare.
With the Dodgers down to their last out, Hodge stepped off the mound. He was greeted by catcher Miguel Amaya, manager Craig Counsell and Chicago's training staff. Hodge eventually went down to one knee and began rubbing his chest.
The closer was dealing with elevated heart rate, something that has been a recurring issue. Hodge ultimately was able to work through his scare and got Max Muncy to pop out, earning his fifth save of the season.
Hodge has been cleared to pitch, despite ongoing elevated heart rate issues. Still, Counsell said the team is considering further testing. After the scary sight, he was relived to see Hodge close out the game, via MLB.com.
“We noticed he was just going super fast, and then at some point, his heart was racing, and just to the point where he was concerned a little bit,” Counsell said. “He said it had happened to him before, and it would go away, and nothing would be of it. So it took him a couple minutes, but it went away and he said, ‘I'm good to go.'”
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Porter Hodge was named closer after Hector Neris' poor performance in the role. He has converted five saves since his role change, holding a 1.66 ERA and a 46/17 K/BB ratio over his 34 appearances overall. Still a 23-year-old rookie, Hodge could play himself into permanent Chicago closer.
But to do so, he must be on the mound. Craig Counsell and the Cubs will be mindful of Hodge's heart problems for the remainder of his tenure with the team. They're thankful Tuesday's scare didn't turn into anything more serious.
