Chicago Cubs’ ace Jon Lester nearing return to rotation

When the Chicago Cubs’ Jon Lester went to the IL, the timing couldn’t have been worse. He was their best pitcher–only good pitcher–at that time. But the rotation rebounded, and Lester may return soon.

On April 8, the Chicago Cubs’ Jon Lester left his start with what turned out to be hamstring tightness. At that time, the Cubs staff was unreliable, at best. The Cubs ended up winning that game making them 3-7 for the season. Two of the three wins the Cubs had came in Lester’s starts. With their best pitcher headed for the IL, things didn’t look good.

Since Lester hit the IL, the rotation has responded in his absence. The Cubs are 7-3 while he’s been out, and with the potential of him returning during the Los Angeles Dodgers series (4/23-4/25), the Cubs could get an added boost from his return.

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The Cubs had shifted Jose Quintana–who has been magnificent since Lester’s injury (2-0, 0.00 ERA,18 K, 14 IP, )–and started Tyler Chatwood against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. The right-hander answered the call with six shutout inning of baseball.

The usually reliable Pedro Strop gave up a home run to Jarrod Dyson that tied the game in the ninth, costing Chatwood a well-earned win. The Cubs eventually won the game on a David Bote single (are we even surprised?), but it was Chatwood that was on everyone’s lips.  

Even with Chatwood’s impressive performance, Lester is still the ace of this staff. He showed that in his first few starts at the beginning of 2019. The scheduled off days early in the season allowed Joe Maddon to only need a spot starter one time in Chatwood. He didn’t disappoint, and now the Cubs will be back to full-strength in the rotation.

Lester, at that time, was the only starter that was able to go six innings in his first two starts. He only went two innings in his April 8 start but had been impressive before leaving the game. Those starts were critical to saving the Cubs’ bullpen, which was being ravaged by short outings from the starters, and self-inflicted damage with a high number of walks. I don’t think there was a Cubs fan around that was concerned when he hit the IL.

Lester is a gamer. “Gutty,” as some might say. He could come into a game without his best stuff, and still finds a way to scratch out six innings with just a few runs allowed. And Maddon has no issue leaving him out there to throw 100+ pitches. And if he’s not allowed to get to it when he’s pitching well? You can see Lester is not happy about it. He didn’t want to leave the April 8 game, and he had a strained hamstring.

His return to the Chicago Cubs rotation can’t do anything but help the staff as a whole. He can eat innings. Puts up quality starts more often than not. And in an important game, he is likely to be the guy they call on.