Chicago Cubs dodge a bullet with Jon Lester’s injury news

Chicago Cubs fans can exhale, as it appears Jon Lester will only miss one or two starts after suffering a left hamstring injury during the team’s win on Monday.

Chicago Cubs ace Jon Lester began the year in midseason form. Through his first two starts, the left-hander was 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA. His performance really stood out given the struggles of the rest of the rotation.

Lester has two of the Cubs’ three quality starts through their first 10 games. These are reasons why Lester’s trip to the injured list may feel like a gut-punch. But knowing Lester, this will be nothing but a slight blemish this year for the Chicago hurler.

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Joe Maddon talked about Lester’s injury yesterday morning.

"“Of course he’s going to miss a start,”Maddon said on the Laurence Holmes Show via 670 The Score. “Coming out of the game yesterday, Jonnny is going to miss at least one and probably maybe even two starts. He may. So you have to start developing plan B.”"

Lester’s reliability

Veteran pitchers such as Lester are prone to miss a start or two over the course of a long season, but hamstring tightness shouldn’t deter the big left-hander too much. Since Lester joined the Cubs in 2015 he has averaged 192 1/3 innings per year and has never thrown fewer than 180 frames.

Lester takes pride in his durability, but it’s only part of his story. The veteran has continued to defy time, as he churns out successful campaigns year after year. In his four seasons as a Cub, Lester has gone 61-31 with a 3.35 ERA, taking the ball in some of the biggest games in the history of the organization.

He has also continued to grow with his role in the locker room. Lester has always been one of the leaders for the team, but as his tenure with the Cubs has grown, he has exerted more effort into his leadership.

"“I’ve really watched the evolution of Jon over the last five years, four years, how he has really grown up and matured as a baseball player,” Maddon said. “I know he was very accomplished by the time we got him, but once David (Ross) left, he’s really been spreading his wings. I really enjoyed it. Jon, he and I have really great conversations. I bounce things off him all the time. It’s just a different version of Jon Lester, and I think it’s reflected in the way he’s pitching.”"

Lester has arguably been the best free agent signing in Chicago sports history, and his legacy is still growing. Every time the Chicago Cubs have needed a big performance, Lester has answered the bell. At 35 years old, his stuff remains crisp, and he appears to have plenty left in the tank. The face of the pitching staff will be back from hamstring tightness sooner rather than later, and I expect he’ll pick up right where he left off.