New Pitch Grip Creates New Possibilities For Cubs’ Jeremiah Estrada

A hospital stay in August 2021 reinforced righthander Jeremiah Estrada’s belief that life was more important than baseball.

“There wasn’t much I could do,” Estrada recalled after a positive Covid test went from a headache and loss of smell and flavor to severe vomiting and a 102-degree temperature and a few weeks in the hospital.

“I couldn’t run. I couldn’t breathe.”

But with proper medical care and the support of the Cubs organization, Estrada made his MLB debut a year after his hospitalization.

Estrada wasn’t vaccinated when he tested positive a year ago but got his shots in time to join the Cubs as a substitute player on a trip to Toronto. Pitchers Justin Steele and Adrian Sampson were placed on the restricted list due to Canada’s requirements for entry.

The 23-year-old Estrada struck out two Blue Jays while pitching a scoreless inning in his MLB debut on Aug. 30.

“After I got Covid, (the Cubs) helped me to become the person I’ve become,” said Estrada, a 2017 sixth-rounder from Palm Desert (Calif.) High.

After missing most of 2019 after having Tommy John surgery, followed by the 2020 shutdown and his own bout with the virus, Estrada knew 2022 could be a make-or-break season.

“Over these past years of being injured, it felt like I wasn’t in the mix anymore,” Estrada said. “I felt like I’m not performing, and people are forgetting my name. And it was a lousy feeling.”

As soon as Estrada regained his strength, so did his upper-90s fastball.

“It’s got a ton of carry,” High-A South Bend pitching coach Tony Cougoule said.

Estrada took advantage of the technology provided at South Bend and the other affiliates. That helped him gain comfort with a new grip on a slider that, according to Cougoule, helped produce “video game numbers.”

Estrada struck out 43% of Midwest League batters before advancing to Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. In 34 minor league appearances he recorded a 1.30 ERA with 78 strikeouts and 20 walks in 48.1 innings.

He continued missing bats in MLB as he made his case for a bullpen role in 2023.