The day after longtime ace Jon Lester struggled during a three-inning scrimmage Friday night, the only thing that seemed certain about the back end of the Cubs rotation is that it’s where Lester has the best chance of being ready to make his first start of the pandemic-shortened season.
Lester, a five-time All-Star who has started four of the past five Cubs openers, started summer training camp behind the other projected starters because of a program during the three-month shutdown heavier on weight-room work than aggressive bullpen work.
What will that mean for a Cubs rotation that starts with Kyle Hendricks in the opener Friday against the Brewers and Yu Darvish going Saturday? A rotation that already had depth issues before losing left-hander José Quintana to a dishwashing thumb injury?
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“It’s starting to take shape,” said manager David Ross, whose choices for the third start seem to come down to command-challenged stuff guy Tyler Chatwood and soft-contact, precision righty Alec Mills.
The Cubs travel to Cincinnati for four games after the opening three-game set with the Brewers.
Chatwood, who pitched well in a spot start against the Brewers late last season, has performed significantly better on the road than at home during his two seasons with the Cubs, though the lack of fans in ballparks might lessen the difference in home-road impact.
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Either way, Ross wasn’t ready Saturday to say where Lester falls in his rotation plans or how he’ll slot any of the starters after Hendricks and Darvish.
“I talked to Jonny a little bit [Saturday],” he said of the 36-year-old left-hander, who was back at work Saturday on his rigorous day-after-start routine. “He was working on a few mechanical things, just getting on top of the baseball [Friday], and it was his first time working with an umpire and dealing with some of those issues.
“Things are starting to map out,” Ross said. “But we’ve got some guys I’m still waiting to get some confirmation on with a few things and talk to them [before revealing the full rotation], stuff I would rather keep in house.”
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