A healthy Jason Hammel enjoying early success with the Chicago Cubs

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs enter the final game of the series in Milwaukee needing a win to avoid the sweep. Jason Hammel is the ideal man to have on the mound to end the losing streak.

After being signed right before players and catchers reported, Hammel has shown how good he can be when healthy.

He’s posted a quality start in each outing, and has recorded three of the Cubs seven wins. He’s also benefited from more offensive support than the rest of the starters. The Cubs have scored 19 runs in games he’s started. The only loss was a 3-0 shutout to the Yankees.

Hammel currently leads the National League in with a 0.69 WHIP, and is third in the league with his three wins. He’s excited to be healthy and pitching well, but knows how long the season is.

"“It feels good to be healthy and get back to what I was doing in 2012,” Hammel said. “I’d like to say I expect more of this going forward, but the baseball season is a long season, and I’m just going to go start by start.” (h/t Carrie Muskat, MLB.com)"

Hammel’s early success will also add to the questions of his future in Chicago. Will the Cubs see him as a viable option to keep in the rebuilding process? Or will he fall in line with the other pitchers the Cubs have signed and traded after early success with the team such as Scott Feldman and Paul Maholm?

Whatever the case may be, Hammel has been one of the bright spots thus far in a dismal start to the 2014 campaign. His continued success will be valuable to the Cubs in one form or another.

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