The Chicago Cubs have had some tough injury luck befall their pitching staff so far this season, and that trend continued Tuesday.

Javier Assad pitched for Triple-A Iowa in a rehab outing but was removed in the fifth inning while grabbing at his side, according to Iowa broadcaster Jason Kempf:

The right-hander has been on the IL since March 17 with a left oblique strain. He previously pitched on April 15, tossing 3.1 innings and 66 pitches for Iowa in his first rehab outing.

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Assad allowed two runs on three walks and three hits in four innings Tuesday while striking out five batters.

The Cubs already are without starter Justin Steele, who was lost for the season because of an elbow injury that required surgery. The bullpen also has been short-handed with Ryan Brasier and Tyson Miller — two key relievers — also on the IL, and Eli Morgan was added to the list last week with an elbow impingement.

The Cubs still have Shota Imanaga starring atop the rotation, with veterans Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd filling in behind him. Ben Brown won a rotation spot out of spring training, and Colin Rea moved from the bullpen to a starting role when Steele went down.

The Cubs made a roster move Tuesday, recalling Gavin Hollowell to join the bullpen while Jordan Wicks was sent back down to Iowa. The team also added reliever depth in a trade for veteran Drew Pomeranz on Monday.

Assad, 27, has been a big part of the Cubs’ pitching staff over the last three seasons, posting a 3.40 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 70 games (47 starts) during that span. He spent the entire 2024 campaign in the Cubs’ rotation, tossing a career-high 147 innings while compiling seven victories and 1.7 WAR.