It’s good to have a 13 game lead in your division in August. That lets you do stuff like what the Cubs are doing: placing starting pitcher John Lackey on the disabled list.
Lackey left his last start with shoulder tightness. It’s not thought to be particularly serious, but he’s being placed on the DL as a precautionary measure. He may not have been shelved if the Cubs were in a tight race. What’s more, assuming there isn’t anything seriously wrong with him, the time off will serve to give him a dog days breather and may allow him to be a bit sharper and fresher come playoff time.