Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya on Wednesday night.
Making his long-awaited return from the 60-day injured list with an oblique injury, Amaya was looking to make an immediate impact in the Cubs’ matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays. But in just his third at-bat, disaster struck.
Running out a roller to shortstop, Amaya stretched toward first base in an effort to beat the throw, only to land awkwardly on the bag. The play ended with him injured and carted off the field.
Miguel Amaya is injured following this play:
Prayers out to him 🙏
— SleeperCubs (@SleeperCubs) August 14, 2025
“I don’t know that I’ve ever wanted to cry for a guy more than I want to cry for Miguel Amaya right now. So disappointing,” Cubs broadcaster Jim Deshaies said during the broadcast, perfectly capturing the gut-punch moment.
At the time, Chicago was up 2-1 in the top of the eighth inning with runners on first and third and no outs.
Amaya’s hustle wasn’t just about padding the stat sheet — the Cubs are fighting to stay afloat in the playoff race. While they currently sit second in the NL Central, they’re eight games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. They do hold the top Wild Card spot by 3.5 games, but recent struggles have slowed momentum, with the team losing six of its last 10 games and dropping their last two series.
Amaya finished the evening going 1-for-3.
For Amaya, the setback is even more frustrating given his injury history and the fact that the Cubs were counting on him down the stretch.
This was only his 27th game played this season. In 2024, he suited up for 117 games, but the year before, he appeared in just 53 contests. Each time it feels like Amaya is getting on track, injuries have knocked him off course — and this one couldn’t have come at a worse time for Chicago.
The Cubs now face the possibility of being without their starting catcher yet again, a blow to both their lineup and clubhouse leadership. Whether this latest injury will sideline him long-term remains to be seen, but for Amaya and the Cubs, the hope is that this latest setback is just a stumble — and not the end of another season.
