Jon Lester followed a gem of a first intrasquad outing with a dud on Friday.
The left-hander allowed two runs, both on solo homers, in three innings.
Just like his first intrasquad game didn’t guarantee smooth sailing, Friday’s performance doesn’t doom Lester’s 2020 season. But it does mean that the veteran’s ramp-up process includes at least one bump in the road.
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If Lester’s first intrasquad outing was defined by strikeouts, hard contact characterized his second. Even a scoreless first inning featured a play at the plate. Lester began his night walking Nico Hoerner. Then, he got out of a jam partially thanks to Hoerner testing his speed on a double by Steven Souza Jr.
To start the second inning, Lester gave up a solo home run to Albert Almora. Souza scored the next run, sending the ball over the left field wall in the third.
The Cubs have yet to announce when Lester will make his first start in 2020. On Thursday, manager David Ross named Kyle Hendricks the Opening Day starter. Yu Darvish will follow him.
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Ross said before Friday’s scrimmage that he has “a feel” for where in the rotation Lester and Tyler Chatwood will slot in.
“We’re still continuing to let these guys throw,” Ross said, “and we’ll get back to you on that when that’s a lock.”