Chicago Cubs: John Lackey makes NLDS roster, Hector Rondon does not

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 08: John Lackey #41 of the Chicago Cubs walks off the field in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on September 8, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 08: John Lackey #41 of the Chicago Cubs walks off the field in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field on September 8, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL – SEPTEMBER 15: John Lackey #41 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning on September 15, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – SEPTEMBER 15: John Lackey #41 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning on September 15, 2017 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

Ahead of Friday’s NLDS opener, the Chicago Cubs announced their first-round postseason roster – with one notable exception and a surprising addition.

The time has finally come for Chicago Cubs postseason baseball. On Friday night, the Cubs will square off against the Washington Nationals in Game 1 of the NLDS. This game will mark the third-straight season the Cubs have made the playoffs.

Prior to game time, the Cubs set their 25-man roster for the series. It had been announced earlier in the week that Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester, Jose Quintana and Jake Arrieta will be the starters for the first four games. That left 21 spots to fill.

The injury to Arrieta definitely played into the decisions Joe Maddon made ahead of Friday’s series opener. Let’s take a closer look at how things played out.

Schedule