First, apologies for the no-show in your inbox yesterday. My wife and I had to tag-team baseball practices for three kids at three start times at three fields. Oh, I love youth baseball.

But, credit should go to my wife, who handled two of the three while I coached my daughter’s practice after I told myself that my coaching days were behind me 🫠. Anyway, we didn’t get home until after nine, and after getting them all fed and to bed, I just didn’t have it in me.

All right, onto the baseball we all care about.

Caleb Kilian will miss significant time with a teres major strain

According to a few reports, Kilian will be on the shelf until at least the All-Star Break.

Two things here that I find important:

The glass-half-empty: Kilian looked really sharp this spring. I know it’s not the first time he’s looked sharp in the spring, and everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop, but he was off to a good start in pursuing being a part of the major league team this season. An injury that will eat up half of that season stinks.

The glass-half-full: As Brett said on Thursday, this is a muscular issue. This is preferable to a tear in the capsule, labrum, or rotator cuff, as those injuries can significantly impact one's career and may require surgery. The hope is that the injury will heal independently, and the only consequence will be lost time.

Regarding roster implications, The Cubs can and likely will eventually shift Kilian to the 60-day IL when they need to open up a 40-man spot. Kilian will receive big league pay and big league service time for the period he’s on the 60-day IL, to the extent that becomes a consideration.

Nick Madrigal is dealing with a hamstring strain, but Craig Counsell is optimistic

Counsell may be optimistic, but this injury likely puts Opening Day in question. Unfortunately, Madrigal and soft tissue injuries seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly, and this one — while minor — is just the latest.

Madrigal suffered a torn hamstring in 2021 with the White Sox, which cost him most of that season.

Madrigal was seen playing catch on Thursday morning, so it’s a good sign that the injury is minor because he doesn’t have to stop all baseball activities. Still, given Madrigal’s history with hamstring and soft tissue injuries, the Cubs likely won’t be rushing him back.

More Chicago Cubs from Bleacher Nation

• If the Giants were to make J.D. Davis available via trade in the wake of Matt Chapman's signing, would the Cubs be interested?

Jaylon Johnson and the Bears got that extension done

Jaylon Johnson was given a franchise tag as a formality before signing a long-term deal earlier this week. On Thursday, Johnson signed a four-year contract worth $76 million with the Bears.

We’ve come a long way since Johnson requested a trade ahead of the trade deadline last fall. After a career year, Johnson is sticking around for the foreseeable future on a deal that works for both sides.

Johnson’s deal includes $54 million in guaranteed money and breaks down to $19 million per season, a cap hit that the Bears can live with.

It’s nice to see Johnson stay in town. It’s even nicer to see he and Ryan Poles get a deal done after Poles essentially guaranteed it last week during the combine.

More Chicago Bears from Bleacher Nation

• Luis has the latest details on the Bears’ pursuit of a new stadium.

• I put together a list of targets for the Bears on the offensive side of the ball in free agency on Thursday.

More Chicago Sports from Bleacher Nation

Chicago Blackhawks

• The Blackhawks made a trade, sending forward Anthony Beauvillier to the Nashville Predators for a 2024 fifth-round pick.

Chicago Bulls

• There were fireworks in Salt Lake City last night between the Bulls and Jazz, featuring John Collins grabbing Bulls assistant coach Chris Fleming by the throat. Collins had some more words for Fleming on Thursday.

What’s on deck?

• The Cubs have their first split-squad action of the spring this afternoon, taking on the Mariners at home and the Diamondbacks on the road. You can watch the contest with the Mariners at 2:05 PM CT on Marquee.