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Expanded rosters give new-look Cubs pitching staff a boost

MESA, Ariz. – The Cubs finally know how many roster spots they can count on to open the season.

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association agreed to give teams two extra roster spots and remove the 13-pitcher limit for the month of April. The agreement is reportedly pending the approval of the club owners and comes amid injury concerns due to the condensed spring training schedule.

“It’s going to be nice for us,” Cubs manager David Ross said Wednesday. “I think it was a smart move in this unique string training.”

Ross confirmed that the Cubs’ two extra spots would likely go to pitchers, adding, “but it’s not just how things will shake out performance-wise, there’s big-picture stuff that we look at as well.