Cubs place Cody Bellinger on injured list due to finger fracture

(670 The Score ) As they’ve started playing better baseball of late, the Cubs will now be without one of their key players.

The Cubs placed outfielder Cody Bellinger on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a left middle finger fracture, the club announced. The move came after Bellinger was hit on the hand by a pitch in the Cubs’ 4-0 win against the Orioles on Wednesday, causing him to exit the game. Afterward, Bellinger explained that his left middle finger had swollen considerably.

The Cubs didn't reveal an exact timeline for Bellinger's return, though it will be longer than a 10-day stay. Late July would be the optimistic timeline if everything went right in his recovery, Meghan Montemurro of the Tribune reported.

Bellinger is hitting .269 with nine homers, 37 RBIs and a .742 OPS in 79 games this season.

In a corresponding move, Chicago recalled outfielder Alexander Canario from Triple-A Iowa. He hit .273 (6-of-22) with one homer, two RBIs and an .815 OPS in 13 games for the Cubs earlier this season. Canario has hit 16 homers and posted an .832 OPS at Triple-A this year.

The Cubs have won five of their past six games, including the first two of their current three-game series against the AL East-leading Orioles. Chicago closes its series at Baltimore on Thursday evening. First pitch is set for 5:35 p.m., and pregame coverage starts at 5 p.m. on 670 The Score.