Jon Lester’s outing against the Reds on Thursday was rough from the outset, with him barely getting through two innings before leaving the game.
Jon Lester gave up 9 runs in less than 2 innings and might also be injured
A rough day for the Cubs.
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
He gave up seven hits and a walk, struck nobody out, and allowed a total of nine runs (seven of them earned). Because of his day, Lester’s ERA skyrocketed from a respectable 3.99 to 4.37 in a matter of two innings.
He threw 40 pitches and Cincinnati sent 13 batters to the plate in one inning.
But now, the problem could be more than just a bad day on the mound and may affect the Cubs’ season hopes even further. Lester left the field with trainers before even making it through multiple innings, and now reports say he is experiencing “left lat tightness.”
The team is evaluating the injury further, but Lester has three more seasons on his current $155 million contract after this one, with a team option for 2021.
He joined the team in 2015 and posted a 3.44 ERA in 205 innings, with a much better 2.44 ERA in 202 innings the season following, when he came in second in NL Cy Young voting.
The ace has been a steady presence in the Cubs’ rotation for the most part, although like any pitcher he has had his shaky moments. Should he be sidelined for the rest of this season, or even worse need surgery that could derail him for longer than that, the second half of his contract begins to look a lot more unwieldy for the team.
Hopefully it’s not as serious an issue as it could be, and simply some tightness that can be attended to and won’t keep him out of the rotation for more than a game or two.
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