NEWSLETTER
Like we said earlier today, the Cubs and Jonathan Lucroy have an advantage over many midseason catcher marriages, in that the former long-time Brewer is already familiar with a number of the Cubs’ pitchers from that capacity, and also from his time on the Rangers.
His integration with the club should therefore be a lot easier, and he was already talking about how it’ll be nice to already know quite a bit, rather than having to learn his pitchers on the fly:
Here’s Jonathan Lucroy, on joining a Cubs team he is very familiar with either from catching the pitchers or facing them… pic.twitter.com/502kHF6p62
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) August 8, 2019
That will include tonight’s starter, Cole Hamels, whom Lucroy caught in Texas. In service of the transition, no doubt – and to give Victor Caratini a breather – Lucroy will be right in there catching Hamels tonight.
Physically, Lucroy says he’s totally over the nasty collision from early July:
Lucroy said he’s in top health since collision a month ago. Said it was third diagnosed concussion, second in big leagues, but “in grand scheme of things not that severe.” Said felt normal after first 4-5 days. And said he can handle whatever workload Cubs need.
— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubCub) August 8, 2019
He’ll integrate well, I’m sure, but Lucroy probably does already have one enemy in the clubhouse:
Lucroy is wearing No. 25. First Cubs player to wear that digit since Derrek Lee. First-base coach Will Venable (who had been wearing 25) is now No. 99.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) August 8, 2019
