Having already flip-flopped Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester in the rotation once this year, the Chicago Cubs are doing it again (Tribune).
Today, the Cubs announced that Lester will take Friday’s opener against the Reds in Cincinnati instead of Jake Arrieta, who threw a no-hitter there on that very date. That would have been cool.
Moreover, the change will probably take Lester out of the mix for starting in Boston at the end of this month, where he spent the bulk of his career. That, too, would have been cool.
In exchange for the lost sentimentality, though, are some theoretically better match-ups for the Cubs. With Lester moved, he’ll now slot in for the series in Pittsburgh next week, as the Pirates are hitting a woeful .178/.260/.274 against lefties this season. That’s be two lefties in the series for the Cubs now, with both Lester and Brett Anderson drawing starts.
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