CHICAGO – With an unexpected day off due to the postponement of Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs decided to shuffle the pitching rotation to keep front-line starters Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester going on normal rest.
John Lackey, who was scheduled to pitch on Saturday, will start in the finale of the series with the Braves on Sunday. Jason Hammel has been pushed back a day and will start Monday in the opener of a three-game road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Because both Arrieta and Lester each had an extra day before their previous outings, the Cubs preferred to keep them pitching on four days of rest.