The Cubs lost for the sixth time in eight games (SF 3, CHC 1) on Wednesday, and they also suffered a potentially damaging injury. 

Catcher Willson Contreras injured his right hamstring while running to first base in the eighth inning: 

Per Carrie Muskat, Contreras will undergo an MRI on Thursday and is likely headed for the disabled list. Obviously, the Cubs will be hoping that Contreras requires something close to minimum 10 days to get healthy, but hamstring injuries can sometimes be slow to heal. 

No team wants to lose their starting catcher, and that's especially the case with the Cubs and Contreras. The 25-year-old is batting .274/.342/.519 in 102 games, which is excellent production for someone who mans a premium position. Contreras has also been especially hot in recent weeks, as he entered Wednesday when an OPS of more than 1.100 in the second half. 

The Cubs of course acquired Alex Avila prior to the non-waiver deadline, and he figures to get most of the action behind the plate while Contreras is out. That's a better fallback option than most teams have, but Contreras will no doubt be missed, especially since the race in the NL Central has tightened up quite a bit.