JULY 28, 2020 • MLB.COM
Cubs hold off Reds after Lester's hitless start The Cubs headed into this season with a number of questions hanging over their rotation. The group was perceived as a weakness, especially w...
Jon Lester Tosses 5 Hitless Innings, Anthony Rizzo Homers as Cubs Hold Off Reds The Chicago Cubs continued to play well against the National League Central to start a shortened 2020 season in which every game takes on mo...
JULY 28, 2020 • BLEACHERREPORT.COM
Rizzo homers again, Cubs beat virus-unsettled Reds 8-7
Anthony Rizzo homered for the third time, and the Chicago Cubs held on for an 8-7 victory over a Cincinnati Reds team coping with coronavirus uncertaintyJULY 28, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rays fan 19 Braves in 14-5 romp; Atlanta cuts Foltynewicz
JULY 28, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brilliant in win Lester (1-0) walked one and struck out one over five scoreless, no-hit innings Monday to pick up the win against the Reds.
Impact The Cubs supplied the veteran southpaw with four runs of support before he even stepped on the mound and Lester did the rest, baffling the Reds just long enough to qualify for the win and exiting after 76 pitches (50 strikes). After a shaky 2019 campaign in which he posted a 4.46 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, a shortened schedule and deeper bullpen behind him could be just what Lester needs to turn his ratios around.
JULY 28, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
MLB plays of the day: Reds to rake vs. Lester Find line reports, best bets, and subscribe to push notifications in the Betting News section.Following MLB's cancellation of two of Monday'...
JULY 27, 2020 • THESCORE.COM
Lester scheduled to start for Chicago against Cincinnati
The Chicago Cubs play the Cincinnati RedsJULY 27, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chatwood dominates, Cubs hit 3 HRs in 9-1 romp over Brewers
Tyler Chatwood pitched three-hit ball over six innings, Willson Contreras homered and the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-1 to take two of three in their opening seriesJULY 26, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cruises to win Chatwood (1-0) tossed six innings of one-run ball and picked up the win Sunday against the Brewers. He allowed three hits and two walks, while striking out eight.
Impact Chatwood was locked in, and it's encouraging that he only walked two given the control problems he's had in the past. The 30-year-old perhaps surprisingly took the No. 3 spot in the rotation ahead of Jon Lester, but Chatwood has good stuff and could be successful this year if he continues to limit the walks. He's slated to take the hill again Friday against the Pirates.
JULY 26, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Mike Antonellis was ready to take a step closer to broadcasting in the majors, but the pandemic put it on hold Mike Antonellis was 31 years old when he landed the coveted gig of play-by-play voice of the Portland Sea Dogs in 2005, the same season that...
JULY 26, 2020 • BOSTON.COM
AP PHOTOS: Empty stands, masked players as baseball returns
JULY 25, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hendricks goes 9; Rizzo HRs, sanitizes; Cubs beat Brew 3-0
Kyle Hendricks finished a three-hitter after new manager David Ross gave him one more batter, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 3-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on opening dayJULY 25, 2020 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sharp in final tune-up Lester tossed 4.1 innings of one-run ball in Wednesday's exhibition game against the Twins. He allowed one hit and two walks, while striking out four.
Impact Lester was at 66 pitches (42 for strikes) when he was pulled and would have surely continued if this had been a regular season contest. The veteran lefty will look to carry this momentum into his 2020 debut, which is slated for Monday against the Reds.
JULY 22, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
3 takeaways from Cubs camp, including Jon Lester’s tentative hold on the 4th rotation spot and the possibility of carrying 16 pitchers The Cubs named Jon Lester their fourth starter, while Alec Mills now will pitch batting practice before Wednesday night's exhibition game ag...
JULY 21, 2020 • CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM
Confirmed as No. 4 starter Manager David Ross said Lester will start the team's fourth game of the season Monday against the Reds, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Impact It was previously reported that the Cubs would roll with Kyle Hendricks, Yu Darvish and then Tyler Chatwood for the first series of the year this weekend, and this confirms that Lester will follow those three righties. The veteran lefty could even possibly bump down to fifth in the rotation whenever Jose Quintana (thumb) is ready to join the club.
JULY 21, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Chicago Cubs using Jon Lester and Alec Mills as a tandem is solely for Wednesday’s exhibition game and not the regular season, David Ross says Cubs manager David Ross has tempered persistent suggestions that Alec Mills will piggyback 36-year-old Jon Lester once the regular season st...
JULY 20, 2020 • CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM
Looks like fourth starter Lester is not slated to pitch in the team's three-game series against the Brewers to start the season and figures to line up fourth next Monday against the Reds, Maddie Lee of NBC...
Impact It's not that unexpected to see Kyle Hendricks and Yu Darvish lined up 1-2, but it's a mild surprise that Tyler Chatwood appears set to be the Cubs' third starter. Manager David Ross hasn't fully confirmed this order, but when asked about Chatwood starting third, he said "you can assume that." Lester was the team's Opening Day starter the past three years, but after turning in a subpar 4.46 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 171.2 innings in 2019, the 36-year-old lefty has been bumped down in Chicago's rotation. Fantasy managers should temper expectations at this point in the veteran's career.
JULY 20, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Set to be No. 3 starter Chatwood is expected to throw around 80 pitches in a simulated game Tuesday before starting the team's third game of the season Sunday against the Brewers, Jordan Bastian of MLB.co...
Impact Chatwood came into spring training battling for the team's fifth rotation spot, but he bumped up at least one rung with Jose Quintana (thumb) slated to miss the beginning of the season. Now it seems that Chatwood has moved ahead of Jon Lester for the No. 3 spot, putting the righty behind Kyle Hendricks and Yu Darvish. Chatwood has always had good enough stuff to succeed as an MLB starter, but his command has held him back. If he can keep the walks in check, the 30-year-old could be an under-the-radar option this year in fantasy circles.
JULY 20, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Slated to pitch third Lester figures to slot in as the Cubs' No. 3 starter with Kyle Hendricks named the Opening Day starter and Yu Darvish getting the ball second, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Impact Lester was the team's Opening Day starter the last three years, so there was some possibility that new manager David Ross would stick with his veteran in that spot, but realistically the battle came down to Hendricks and Darvish. Chicago also could have broken up those two righties with the lefty Lester, but Ross is simply using his two best pitchers first. Lester had a down 2019 season by his standards with a 4.46 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across 171.2 innings.
JULY 16, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
Sharp in intrasquad debut Lester struck out four batters across 2.1 scoreless innings in an intrasquad game Sunday, Maddie Lee of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Impact Lester only allowed one hit and was "commanding all of his pitches," according to catcher Willson Contreras. The veteran lefty was only scheduled to throw two innings, but he kept his pitch count low enough to face another batter. Lester took a step backward in 2019 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, and he'll look to turn in stronger numbers this season.
JULY 13, 2020 • ROTOWIRE
5 takeaways from Chicago Cubs camp, including Jon Lester looking sharp in his intrasquad debut and Jason Kipnis looking ‘in midseason form’ Jon Lester struck out four and allowed only an infield hit in a 28-pitch performance during an intrasquad game Sunday night at Wrigley Field...
JULY 13, 2020 • CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM
'A trophy is a trophy': Jon Lester's adjusting, taking... "You still have to show up, you still have to play well and you still have to do your job to get that trophy, get that ring."
JULY 11, 2020 • THEATHLETIC.COM
4 takeaways from Chicago Cubs camp, including Yu Darvish’s fingernail issue and the team handling veteran Jon Lester with care Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish provided a brief scare with a fingernail issue on his right index finger, but the veteran finished his intra...
JULY 10, 2020 • CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM
When Jon Lester could start throwing in live batting practice Tommy Hottovy provides and update on Jon Lester's track back to throwing in live batting practice and eventual scrimmage games.
JULY 6, 2020 • NBC.COM
Why Jon Lester hasn't yet thrown live batting practice in Cubs Summer Camp Four Cubs startign pitchers threw in controlled intrasquad games over the weekend.
JULY 5, 2020 • YAHOO.COM
