Cubs' Morrow out with back spasms sustained while taking pants off

Throwing a baseball should be as easy as dressing yourself. Unfortunately for Chicago Cubs closer Brandon Morrow, changing clothes isn't always as easy as it sounds.

Morrow did not pitch in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field, and his absence hurt the Cubs severely, as Justin Wilson blew the save opportunity in an eventual 4-3 Dodgers win. This led to questions postgame about why Morrow did not close out the one-run contest.

As it turned out, Morrow was unavailable Tuesday due to back spasms that he sustained while taking his pants off on Monday.

"I was taking my pants off after getting home (from St. Louis) at 3 a.m. (Monday)," Morrow said, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. "Got my right leg off. My left one, I felt spasms in my back."

Morrow's strange ailment might be joke material for many observers - indeed, the news conjured up memories of Wade Boggs injuring himself as he tried to put on a pair of cowboy boots - but it was no laughing matter for the 33-year-old, who had to watch helplessly as his team let a win get away.

"It's frustrating any time you can't get out there, especially when you can't go for something as stupid as taking your pants off," Morrow said, per MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "Getting hurt any time is frustrating, but when it's not related to throwing a baseball, it's even more frustrating."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon said that Morrow also won't be available during the nightcap of Tuesday's doubleheader, according to Muskat, and there's no specific timetable for his return to action.

Morrow has been impressive in his first season with Chicago, sporting a 1.59 ERA with 25 strikeouts and 16 saves across 26 appearances.