Jon Lester to skip start with ‘dead arm’
Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers weren’t the only ones to experience a pitching scare on Friday.
After Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon announced left-hander Jon Lester will be scratched from his scheduled Saturday start as he works through a “dead arm period,” we’re sure more than a few hearts skipped a beat or two in Chicago. But until the Cubs show concern beyond giving Lester a few days extra rest, Cubs fans should be able to breathe easy, or as easy as fans subjected to over 100 years of disappointment can breathe we should say.
The phrase “dead arm” or “tired arm” is commonly heard throughout spring training. As pitchers prepare for the regular season workload that lites ahead, they often go through periods where the arm doesn’t feel right. The most common cause is fatigue, hence the term tired arm, and that’s what the Cubs anticipate is the issue with Lester.
“A lot of times, when you talk to a pitcher and you ask how they’re feeling, when a guy smiles easily and talks easily and is upbeat about it, it’s a pretty good indication [everything’s good], and he was all of that,” Maddon said. “I really feel well or strongly that he’s going to be OK.”
After signing a six-year, $155 million deal in December, Lester is expected to give the Cubs a true ace and a foundation of which their starting rotation can be built on. To Cubs fans, his addition signifies hope that the rebuilding project is ready to graduate to the next phase. It’s with that in mind that we understand why some will have a difficult time relaxing until Lester is back on the mound. But again, there’s little reason to worry.
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In fact, it’s expected that Lester will return for his next scheduled start on Thursday. Assuming he does, he’ll remain in line to start their season opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5.
“It’s just a lot of guys go through that moment where the arm just doesn’t feel right, partly he came out of the chute very strong and probably went after it too hard, too early,” Maddon said. “He possibly was trying to impress everybody. But our guys feel very good about it. I checked with him this morning. He felt great. We just want to back off a bit right now.”
If that’s not enough reassurance, consider that Lester has been remarkably durable during his nine-year career, pitching at least 191.2 innings every season dating back to 2008. There’s no troubling history to look back on, and there’s no information to indicate this will be anything more than a minor blip on the radar three weeks or three months down the road.
Now close your eyes, Cubs fans, and get some rest, there’s a long, fun season ahead.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
