Cubs Set the Rotation Verse Rangers
The Chicago Cubs have set their rotation against the Texas Rangers, and it is a bit surprising.
We already knew that Jon Lester was going to get the opening day start, and you could expect Cole Hamels to get one of the three games, but the other starter is a bit of a surprise to several. Here is how it will shake out:
- Lester vs Mike Minor on Thursday at 3:05 PM
- Yu Darvish vs Edinson Volquez on Saturday at 7:05 PM
- Hamels vs Lance Lynn on Sunday at 3:05 PM
The majority thought was that Kyle Hendricks would get that second start of the season. He has been the most consistent starter in the Cubs rotation over the past three seasons, and has earned a top spot in the rotation. But Joe Maddon has been known to give these token starts for players in the past.
It appears the thought is Lester, the veteran getting the opening day nod would be better followed by a hard throwing righty in Darvish in game two of the season. Then coming back against another tough left-handed pitcher in Hamels sets the club up to give mixed looks early on. I would then imagine Hendricks would get that fourth start against the Atlanta Braves and then Jose Quintana.
There is also a day off between game one and two, as well as the first two games against the Braves. There’s also a day off after the Wrigley home opener as well, giving the club three days off in the first three weeks of play, or like 300% more than they had in September of last season.
So with the days off, the rotation could be juggled a bit in the first month of the season.
***We are still confirming this as it has only been released through Fantasy Baseball/gambling sites, CubHQ, and a publication out of Texas.
