The Cubs announced that they’ve placed left-hander Jon Lester and right-hander Justin Grimm on the 10-day disabled list due to left shoulder fatigue and an infected right index finger, respectively. It’s the first trip to the disabled list for Lester since 2011. Left-hander Rob Zastryzny and right-hander Felix Pena have been recalled from Triple-A Iowa to fill the two roster spots.
Lester was rocked for nine runs (seven earned) on seven hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings yesterday against the Reds, and his afternoon ended with him calling for the trainer to come to the mound. The Cubs expect Lester to return by Sept. 1, writes USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, and manager Joe Maddon didn’t sound overly concerned when discussing the injury with Nightengale and other reporters.
While even a short-term injury for Lester is significant for a Cubs team that has a small 1.5-game lead on the NL Central, the fact that the 33-year-old doesn’t have any structural damage in his shoulder comes as a relief for the club. For the time being, fellow southpaw Mike Montgomery will step into Chicago’s rotation. Zastryzny, then, will fill Montgomery’s spot and give Maddon an additional lefty in the ’pen behind Justin Wilson and Brian Duensing.
The 2017 season has been a struggle for Grimm, 29, who served as a solid setup piece for the Cubs from 2014-16 but has limped to a 5.40 ERA through 43 1/3 innings this year. Grimm has seen his K/9 rate dip from better than 11.0 to 9.6 in 2017. His BB/9 rate has also spiked to 4.8, and he’s been more homer-prone than ever before in his career.
I’m a new user to this app. I’m just wondering…I read this news on the Cubs Twitter account 35 minutes before it was posted here. Older users: Does this app ever break news? Thanks.
Not a breaking news site, typically. Better known for posting quality news/rumors/analysis.
Heck yeah I love this app. It broke the Quintana trade before any of my friends had heard about it. You’ll love it.
You’ll love it as much as Sox fans love the Quintana trade for ELOY
Eloy is a stud. White sox did fine in that deal
In the interest of fairness and full disclosure, we did not break the Quintana trade. The Cubs and White Sox announced that trade themselves completely out of the blue. Both Chicago teams worked diligently to keep word of the talks internal, so it came out rather suddenly.
We do strive to have any team announcement of a notable transaction or any (credible) report of a transaction mentioned on MLBTR within a minute or two of it being made public.
In the case of Lester being placed on the DL, we don’t cover injuries as closely as we do transactions/rumors, and I’d already noted several reports this morning suggesting he was likely DL bound and had avoided serious injury. As such, I didn’t drop everything to get this news on the site/app.
Had it come out of the blue and/or been completely unexpected, it’d have been on MLBTR immediately after the team’s announcement. But, whoever is covering the site is typically juggling numerous things beyond posting the content that our readers consume, so there is sometimes a lag when news isn’t extremely pertinent or has already largely been suggested (as was the case here).
You guys still do a hell of a job. Honestly haven’t read a story on ESPN in years, thanks to your team.
Keep up the great work. Plus, love that you guys comment back, makes it interactive.
Yes to this
ESPN is way too opiniated and political for tastes
This site gives a real story and not just a blurb.
thanks everyone. one thing I have liked is that I do get a notification when there’s something new. it’s nice not to have to constantly be checking other websites and Twitter for updates. I’ll keep it.
You won’t get anything here first about any Cubs news if you follow them on twitter, But unless you also follow all 29 of the other clubs as well, this is the best clearing house for MLB news IMO. Plus you will get plenty of well researched opinion pieces which make for a great deal of interest.
Glad Lester only has shoulder fatigue. They were talking lat strain yesterday.
As to Grimm, a finger injury may explain why he couldn’t hold on to anything — especially a lead.
He’s probably seen lots of “finger encouragement” from the fans this season.
I enjoy watching Lester pitch, one of my favourites. Said it then, say it now, Sox should have kept Lester. Never makes sense, a team will let a guy of Lester’s pedigree leave town only to then begin a search for a replacement pitcher of Lester’s pedigree. Sox loss is the Cubs gain. Rest up, JL.
Don’t think the Red Sox liked Lester as much. Before Lester became a free agent, the Red Sox only offered like 4 year $70m extension to Lester.
So basically you like watching a pitcher who whines at the ump nearly every game (even though he gets a wider zone than anyone), he can’t hold runners on, can’t throw to first, shames his defense occasionally and is basically like a robot out there? Yeah he’s enjoyable to me too. Lol
Can you please provide some examples of him shaming his defense or him whining at umps every game??? Or statcast about his wide strike zone? That would be physical evidence of balls taken outside the strike zone that umps call strikes…..of which he probably wouldn’t be whining.
Pretty amazing that someone can win 63% of his games with all the deficiencies you point out. You forgot to mention that he was a critical contributor in at least two of his three World Series championships.
Now, John Lackey whines a lot and is verbal to players—but Lester, not so much.
A Sox fan agrees with you.
The Cubs should dfa Wilson while they’re at it. he’s been atrocious.
lol troll
5.1. Ip, 5 er, 7bb, -.03 war 3.00 whip. Awful. troll.
Ha. Agreed. So Aaron judge should be waived?
Lol man you guys gave up Candelario in that deal. Might want to give the guy a little bit more than 2 weeks.
Cubs just trying to limit his innings for October.. smart.
Classic I got rocked so I must be injured
Lester has been quite subpar this year. How much of it can be attributed to losing David Ross, his personal catcher?
Look what happened to Chris Sale the one time he had to throw to Vazquez instead of Leon.
I’m a new user to hardly hear any replies… always hear the bad news…people keep saying the will do this & that…is it fake news..or the real deal..Cub fans just be thankful U come this far… injuries killed us all year….so tired of hearing..about LA blue…or the. BoSox…or the up & down Yanks…..We are. a winning team too