Javier Assad Injury: Dealing with Grade 2 oblique strain

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Assad has been shut down after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique strain, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

Assad re-injured his oblique during a rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Iowa. It's not clear how long the right-hander will remain shut down, but Counsell intimated that Assad will have to start building up from scratch once he's cleared to resume a throwing program. It's a significant setback for Assad, who will likely remain sidelined until at least June.