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The Cubs have placed starting pitcher Jon Lester on the 10-day DL with lat tightness, the club announced Thursday morning. Lester was removed from his start in the second inning yesterday after surrendering seven earned runs to the Reds, but the left-hander is not expected to miss more than three weeks.
Lester, 33, has had an uncharacteristic 2017, with a 4.37 ERA and a 1.274 WHIP. The 12-year veteran was an All-Star last season, in which he was 19-5 with a 2.44 ERA across 202.2 dominant innings en route to his third World Series ring. Lester was signed by the Cubs prior to the 2015 season, a six-year, $155 million deal that made him the highest-paid Cub before outfielder Jason Heyward inked a deal with the club for $184 million two offseason ago.
In a corresponding move, the Cubs have recalled left-hander Rob Zastryzny and right-hander Félix Peña from AAA Iowa. Chicago is expected to add hybrid left-hander Mike Montgomery back into the rotation during Lester's absence, though he has just three quality starts in eight outings for the Cubs in 2017.