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Cubs OF Mike Tauchman out about a month with groin strain

CHICAGO -- Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman will miss about a month with a Grade 2 left groin strain, manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday.

Tauchman, 33, left Monday's loss to the San Francisco Giants after hurting himself while running to first base on an infield single in the third inning.

"Mike has been a very consistent offensive presence for us," Counsell said. "That will be missed. His ball/strike decisions are as good as anyone in baseball. That on-base component will be missed."

Tauchman was one of Chicago's few offensive players outperforming his career numbers while the team has been mired in a prolonged slump. He was hitting .259 with a .359 on-base percentage before getting injured. He also ranked third in MLB, seeing 4.37 pitches per plate appearance.

The Cubs recalled infielder Miles Mastrobuoni to take Tauchman's place on the roster. He has appeared in 19 games for the Cubs this season in a couple of previous stints with the club. He'll strictly play a bench role while Tauchman is out of the lineup.

"We're going to need four weeks to heal," Counsell said of the veteran. "He's going to miss significant time."