August 12, 2018

• Daily Herald, ' Bryant confident he will be back this season https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180811/chicago-cubs-bryant-confident-he-will-be-back-this- season

• Daily Herald, Slumping Lester rocked as Chicago Cubs fall to Nationals https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20180811/slumping-lester-rocked-as-chicago-cubs-fall-to- nationals

• The Athletic, Sorry, nerds, but embattled Cubs ace isn’t panicking just yet https://theathletic.com/469377/2018/08/11/sorry-nerds-but-embattled-cubs-ace-jon-lester-isnt- panicking-just-yet/

• The Athletic, compares notes with and leaves no doubts about his return to Cubs lineup this season https://theathletic.com/469257/2018/08/11/kris-bryant-compares-notes-with-bryce-harper-and- leaves-no-doubts-about-his-return-to-cubs-lineup-this-season/

• Cubs.com, Lester's 2nd-half struggles continue vs. Nats https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/jon-lester-allows-9-runs-in-loss-to-nationals/c-289880086

• Cubs.com, Rizzo on 1,000th career : 'Very special' https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/anthony-rizzo-singles-for-1000th-career-hit/c-289884448

• Cubs.com, Bryant pain-free after taking dry swings https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/kris-bryant-takes-dry-swings-without-pain/c-289876262

• Cubs.com, Cubs recall Ravizza: 'No one can replace him' https://www.mlb.com/cubs/news/cubs-reflect-on-ken-ravizzas-lasting-advice/c-289874328

• ESPNChicago.com, Can Cole Hamels be the stopper the Cubs need in their rotation? http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24351596/mlb-cole-hamels-stopper-cubs-need-their- rotation

• ESPNChicago.com, First-place Cubs breaking even in the second half, not breaking away http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24352685/mlb-first-place-cubs-breaking-even-second-half- not-breaking-away

• ESPNChicago.com, Cubs' Jon Lester laments being in 'rut' after latest shaky outing http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24352271/jon-lester-chicago-cubs-laments-being-rut-poor- start-washington-nationals

• NBC Sports Chicago, Jon Lester's struggles have hit alarming stage for Cubs https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/jon-lesters-struggles-have-hit-alarming-stage-cubs- regression-world-series-cubs-rotation-nationals

• NBC Sports Chicago, Kris Bryant is pain-free and has no doubt he'll return to Cubs in 2018 https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/kris-bryant-pain-free-and-has-no-doubt-hell-return-cubs- 2018-shoulder-injury-playoffs

• Chicago Tribune, Jon Lester gets rocked — again — in Cubs' 9-4 loss to Nationals http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-nationals-20180811-story.html#

• Chicago Tribune, Injured Cubs set to throw a simulated game Tuesday http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-yu-darvish-brandon-morrow- 20180811-story.html

• Chicago Tribune, Kris Bryant starting to swing bat, 'totally confident' he will play again this season http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-kris-bryant-shoulder-injury-20180811- story.html

• Chicago Sun-Times, Jon Lester gets hit hard again as Nationals rout Cubs https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/jon-lester-joe-maddon-washington-nationals-chicago-cubs/

• Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs’ Kris Bryant pain-free, resumes swinging a bat https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/cubs-kris-bryant-pain-free-resumes-swinging-a-bat/

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Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' Bryant confident he will be back this season By Bruce Miles

The progress has been slow, but Chicago Cubs Kris Bryant insists he's confident he will contribute again this season.

"I feel confident," he said. "It would be pretty silly if I wasn't, in my mind. I'm totally confident I'll be back."

Bryant has been on the 10-day disabled list, effective July 24, with left-shoulder inflammation. It's his second stint on the DL this season for that ailment.

He met with reporters Saturday morning at after taking groundballs. He also has progressed, if slowly, with swinging a bat.

"Beginning stages of some dry swings in a tee progression," he said. "Still kind of going a little slow, but that seems to be the smart thing to do. Nothing super crazy, but it's nice to pick up a bat."

Bryant added there is no timetable for his return.

"I'm the one who's asking, 'What do you think, what do you think?' " he said. "But our trainers are telling me they don't want to put a time on it. I think everything is going in the right direction and things are working. So that makes me excited."

Bryant said he has learned to alter his routine

"I think where the problems started from was I was taking more gamelike swings in the cage, in BP (batting practice), off the machines, just continuing to do that," he said. "In the game, you're really only taking maybe five to 10 swings a day at that intensity, whereas in the cage you kind of slow things down and work on just taking it nice and easy. I really practiced at half speed, and I think that I got a little away from that.

"The plan going forward is to practice a little slower in the cage and in batting practice so that you have more in the game. It's good for me to realize you can't keep going every day and swinging and swinging and swinging."

Not so fast for Smyly: Left-hander Drew Smyly's progress has slowed as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The Cubs signed Smyly to a two-year contract in the off-season, with an eye toward 2019. If they were to get anything this year, that would be a bonus.

That may not happen as Smyly has felt soreness on days after he throws.

"This is the hardest part for me," he said. "You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. When I'm on the mound, I feel great and healthy. Then you wake up the next day still sore from it. So it's just like maintaining that hope with still not rushing it and just taking it slow.

"It's obviously frustration because I feel so close. I'm just champing at the bit to get out there. It's excitement too because we go out there and we expect to win every day."

The season may wind down before Smyly can get into a major-league game.

"It'll come in good time," he said. "I'm very hopeful that it will be this year still. If it's not, it will be next year. I signed a two-year deal here. I'm just excited to pitch for the Cubs."

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Daily Herald Slumping Lester rocked as Chicago Cubs fall to Nationals By Bruce Miles

If you believe in the numbers, the warning signs have been there for some time.

Jon Lester doesn't put much stock into the advanced metrics of baseball, but one thing is certain: He is in a certifiable slump.

Things got only worse Saturday in a 9-4 loss to the at Wrigley Field.

Lester, the ace of the Chicago Cubs' pitching staff, lasted only 3⅔ innings, giving up 10 hits and 9 runs (8 earned), as his record fell to 12-5 and his ERA rose from 3.44 to 3.89.

He allowed 3 home runs, 2 to Ryan Zimmerman, who chased him in the Nationals' 6- fourth inning with a 3-run shot.

Over his last 9 starts, Lester has an ERA of 7.51. After a 4-0 victory over the on June 20, Lester's record stood at 9-2 with a 2.10 ERA.

"I'm not worried about it," he said before amending. "I shouldn't say that. I don't want to take away from today. Today was pretty bad as far a the results. This is the ebbs and flows of the season. Unfortunately I'm pretty down right now as far as where I've been pitching and giving innings. My start day hasn't been great. I need to pick that part up.

"I've been through it before. I've come out the other end just fine. I've got to keep working. Unfortunately in this game, it's results driven, and when you're not getting results, you want to immediately run to something. You want to run to you're tipping (pitches), you're going to run to mechanical or you're going to run to whatever.

"Sometimes it's really nothing. It's about a little bit of luck, a little bit of something here and there to give you that break."

Even back in June, Lester's peripheral numbers suggested that he was getting some luck with batted balls being caught. As the statistical site FanGraphs pointed out back then, the gap between Lester's 2.10 ERA and his 4.19 fielding independent pitching (FIP) was historically high.

FIP is scaled to ERA, and it takes out defense as it focuses on things the pitcher has control over: walks, and home runs.

The Cubs have one of the most advanced metrics operations in the game, but manager said his "geeks" (as he calls them) have not come to him waving any red flags about Lester.

"No, not at all," Maddon said. "I've heard different things about the ball being hit hard and all that stuff. That happens to everybody. No, none of our guys have come to me and said he's not doing this or he's doing that. I've not heard that from anybody."

In fact, Maddon says Lester looks the same to him from the dugout.

"Again, I'm seeing the same stuff, I am, from the side," he said. "His got hit today. I don't know yet if it was a function of location, execution of the pitch. When I watch from the side, I don't see anything differently.

"So it's something we'd have to talk to Hick (pitching coach Jim Hickey) and to Borz (catching/strategy coach Mike Borzello) and Lester (bullpen coach Strode) about.

"But from the naked eye on the sidelines, I don't see a whole lot different. If a guy is injured or there's a dramatic drop-off in something, of course I'm more concerned. But I'm not seeing that. So I've got to ask the right questions and see if we're able to figure it out."

About the only bright spot on the day for the Cubs was that Anthony Rizzo collected his 1,000th career hit, a single in the third inning. It was Rizzo's 982nd hit as a Cub, and the crowd of 41,320 gave him a nice ovation.

"You can't ever take that for granted," Rizzo said of the mark. "I've been fortunate enough to pretty much stay healthy my entire career so far. Obviously it's a nice milestone, but I'd like to pick up a 'W' today as well."

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The Athletic Sorry, nerds, but embattled Cubs ace Jon Lester isn’t panicking just yet By Patrick Mooney

Jon Lester sat in the Wrigley Field interview room with his hands tucked into the pouch of his Cubs hooded sweatshirt and shrugged.

During these postgame press conferences, Lester gets about as close to the truth as a professional athlete can get without sounding totally narcissistic, completely insecure or coming across as a miserable human being. By this point, a pitcher with three rings certainly doesn’t have to be candid or thoughtful or sincere in front of the cameras.

Here’s Lester’s philosophy: Ask a direct question, get a direct answer. Part of it is his natural personality. Part of it is a learned behavior after coming up with the and dealing with an obsessive fan base and the relentless media coverage at Fenway Park.

Maybe this won’t be reassuring or satisfying or believable for Cubs fans, but Lester sat there for five minutes after Saturday’s 9-4 loss to the Washington Nationals and didn’t really have any answers for his performance.

“I’m not worried about it,” Lester said. “I shouldn’t say that. I mean, I don’t want to take away from today. Today was pretty bad as far as the results. But this is the ebbs and flows of the season. Unfortunately, I’m pretty down right now as far as where I’ve been pitching and giving innings. I need to pick that part up. But I’ve been through it before. I’ve come out the other end just fine. I got to keep working.

“In this game, it’s results-driven. And when you’re not getting results, you want to immediately run to something. You want to run to you’re tipping, you want to run to mechanical, you want to run to whatever. And sometimes it’s really nothing. It’s just about a little bit of luck, a little bit of something here and there to give you that break.

“I don’t want to take anything away from today, but I’m not worried. I feel great physically. It’s not like I’m battling anything to try to execute pitches. It’s just – for whatever reason – I’m not executing when I need to and getting those outs. That’s all on me.”

You would have taken this when Lester signed his $155 million contract. In Year 4, the Cubs have already won the World Series and Lester is having an All-Star season (12-5, 3.89 ERA) and a team with Kris Bryant, Yu Darvish and Brandon Morrow on the disabled list has the National League’s best record (67- 49).

But the nerds who did a deeper dive on Lester’s numbers correctly predicted a crash. Lester has an 8.65 ERA in his past seven outings after putting up a 2.25 ERA in his first 17 starts this season. The Cubs are also 12-11 since the All-Star break and trying to fend off the Milwaukee Brewers in a competitive year when the wild-card spot might not be a safety net.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon finally pulled Lester from a 9-1 game with two outs in the fourth inning. Ryan Zimmerman had just blasted a three-run homer into the left-center field bleachers. The Nationals just kept jumping Lester’s fastball and putting on a laser show for a crowd of 41,320 that included Bill Murray.

For more than a month, it’s been Groundhog Day for Lester, and he doesn’t look like he’s ready to wake up to a new day just yet.

Zimmerman had already lifted a two-run homer over the left-center field basket in the first inning, giving the underachieving Nationals some breathing room as they scramble to make up ground in the NL East. — Mr. October when the dominated the Cubs during the 2015 NLCS — also launched a two-run homer in that fourth inning. (Murphy came into the game with a regular season slash line of .406/.436/.688 at Wrigley Field, not including his 7-for-19 performance with two homers in four career playoff games at the park.)

“There’s been times where I haven’t thrown the ball well and I’ve been pretty open about that,” Lester said. “I gave up 10 hits today and nine were on my fastball. I don’t want to cop out on anything, but I guess I’m just in this rut right now. I don’t know. I probably felt like that was some of the better stuff I’ve had over the last couple starts — and that was the outcome.

“Unfortunately, the rotation has been throwing the ball well and now I’m the guy that’s not. That’s a bad feeling, just letting the team down, letting the bullpen down, all of the above. I’ll continue to work and I’ll continue to try to figure it out and make an adjustment.”

Around this time last year, Lester went on the disabled list with left shoulder fatigue/lat muscle tightness. By late September, his season ERA had crept up to 4.56. The cynical view was that all those postseason innings had piled up on Lester and he was finally feeling all that wear and tear in his mid-30s.

Lester regrouped in October and neutralized this Washington lineup, showing the guts and stuff that’s made him one of the best big-game of his generation. The Cubs actually lost both games Lester pitched in during that epic five-game playoff series, but he allowed only two runs in 9 2/3 innings as a starter and a reliever.

“From the naked eye on the sidelines, I don’t see a whole lot different,” Maddon said. “He seems to be fine. I’m not really worried about him right now. Again, if he was injured, I’d be more concerned. If something looked dramatically different, I’d be concerned. But I don’t see that.

“Sometimes, it’s like a hitter. You go through a little bit of a slump and you come back out of it. But I don’t see anything dramatically different in the way he’s winding up, throwing the baseball and the numbers on the board look the same. It’s got to be an execution situation.”

The Cubs now have to face on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” and hope that Cole Hamels is out of the funk that made him a relatively easy pitcher to acquire from the before the July 31 trade deadline. Because Lester knows the bottom line, what a manager is supposed to say to the media and how there are limits to all the capital he built up during the glory years.

“At the end of the day, the results aren’t there,” Lester said. “This is a result-driven industry, and I’m not doing my job.”

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The Athletic Kris Bryant compares notes with Bryce Harper and leaves no doubts about his return to Cubs lineup this season By Patrick Mooney

By Patrick Mooney Aug 12, 2018 3 Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper and their wives had dinner together Friday night at a downtown Chicago steakhouse. Harper left Wrigley Field’s visiting clubhouse wearing a Bulls hat, and baseball’s biggest story this offseason will be which jersey he holds up for the cameras at the press conference announcing his megadeal worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Cubs fans have been searching for any kind of clues about what the Washington Nationals superstar will be thinking as a free agent. But no one really knows how this is going to end for Harper, Bryant and their super-agent, Scott Boras. There doesn’t even have to be a deeper meaning to that dinner given that Harper and Bryant both grew up in Las Vegas as baseball prodigies — playing with and against each other — and try to get together whenever the Nationals play the Cubs.

What Bryant can identify with and speak to now is the frustration Harper felt while being on the disabled list after hyperextending his left knee last season and needing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb in 2014 and undergoing a debridement procedure on his left knee in 2013.

“I was just talking to him about how much it stinks,” Bryant said Saturday. “You feel helpless and bored and there’s nothing that you can really do. [But] it’s all part of the process. I’m dealing with it the best I can.”

Bryant shared relatively good news — without giving any sort of timetable on when his left shoulder will feel strong enough to allow him to rejoin the pennant race. But Bryant has started taking “dry swings” — going through his mechanics without actually hitting the ball — and planning for the progressions where he would be batting off a tee. Bryant also left no doubts about whether or not he would return this season: “I’m totally confident that I’ll be back.”

“It would be pretty silly if I wasn’t,” Bryant said.

Harper has paid the price for playing the game with so much speed and intensity. He’s never played in more than 153 games in a season — and that spectacular 2015 campaign produced a .330 batting average, 42 homers, 99 RBIs, a 1.109 OPS and a National League MVP award. It’s just a matter of staying healthy for a generational talent who averaged 461 plate appearances in 2013, 2014 and 2017.

This is uncertain territory for Bryant, who played in 97 percent of the Cubs’ games after his service-time delay/during his Rookie of the Year/MVP seasons in 2015 and 2016. He also played in every inning in all 36 postseason games across the past three years. All before his 26th birthday.

“The biggest thing nowadays is being on the field,” Bryant said. “The front offices and teams are making huge investments in players and they want them to have every chance to go out there and perform and live up to whatever they get. That’s the biggest thing now and that’s why I take a lot of pride in being on the field.”

Bryant first went on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation in late June, when he revealed that it had been bothering him for about a month. He made nine starts in July (.787 OPS) before the Cubs shut him down again and moved him to the disabled list on July 24.

Before updates Bryant’s condition on “Sunday Night Baseball,” know that Cubs executives and the training staff and Bryant are all in agreement that the player shouldn’t be activated until he’s feeling 100 percent. Meaning the Cubs aren’t rushing Bryant back and asking him to completely revamp his swing and hoping he can find other ways to contribute as a patient hitter, lineup presence, good baserunner and versatile defender.

“They’ve shown how much they care about me,” Bryant said. “They want me to be 100 percent out there. Yeah, I feel terrible not being out there. But everybody’s making it a lot easier for me to not feel as guilty because they’re supporting me 100 percent.”

Bryant has appreciated David Bote’s emergence, admired the way the Cubs have stayed atop the NL Central and accepted all the responsibilities that come with being a face-of-the-franchise player. But just like Harper will have to address some of those long-term durability concerns, Bryant has already accepted that he’s not a machine and will have to alter his pregame routine to reduce the stress on his body.

“Totally,” Bryant said. “It was good for me to realize that you can’t keep going every day swinging and swinging and swinging.”

Because, he said, “I want to play until I’m 40.”

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Cubs.com Lester's 2nd-half struggles continue vs. Nats By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- It's been a tale of two halves for Cubs pitcher Jon Lester, who has looked like anything but an All-Star since the break.

Ryan Zimmerman matched a career high with six RBIs, hitting a pair of home runs, and Daniel Murphy added a two-run shot off Lester to power the Nationals in a 9-4 Cubs loss on Saturday at Wrigley Field.

With the loss, Lester remained winless in five starts since the All-Star break, and has been charged with 26 earned runs over 22 2/3 innings for a 10.32 ERA. Remember the first half? Lester was 12-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 19 starts.

What's going on? Cubs manager Joe Maddon isn't sure.

"I'm seeing the same stuff, I am, from the side," Maddon said. "His fastball got hit today. I don't know yet if it was a function of location or execution of the pitch, but when I watch from the side, I don't see anything differently."

Of the 10 hits Lester served up, nine came off his fastball.

"I don't want to cop out on anything, but I guess I'm just in this rut right now," Lester said. "I probably felt that was some of the better stuff I've had over the last couple starts, and that was the outcome. Unfortunately, the rotation has been throwing the ball well and now I'm the guy who's not. That's a bad feeling personally as a teammate, letting the team down, letting the bullpen down."

Lester lasted 3 2/3 innings, the second time since the break that he was unable to pitch past the fourth inning. It's the first time he's served up 10 hits since April 26, 2017.

"When I have to make a pitch, I don't," Lester said. "I feel like I made some really good pitches today that didn't go my way, and that's kind of where I'm at now. When I didn't, they got hit. That's the price you have to pay when you don't execute when you need to.

"These are big league hitters, and the more opportunity that you give them to stay within that count and stay within that at-bat, the more likely they are to get a hit or hit something hard," he said.

The Nationals last faced the lefty in Game 4 of the 2017 National League Division Series, when Lester threw 3 2/3 innings in relief.

"Jonny's a pro," Chicago's Anthony Rizzo said. "He knows how to handle success, and he knows how to handle failure with the best of them. He's our horse. We lean on him, and we're going to continue to lean on him down the stretch. I know for a fact we have all the confidence in the world when he goes on the mound to pitch well and give us a 'W.'"

Rizzo provided the main highlight for the Cubs in the third when he collected his 1,000th career hit, a single to right. Willson Contreras added an RBI single in the eighth to chase Nats starter Tanner Roark, and pinch-hitter roped a two-run double with two outs in the ninth.

The Cubs may have the best record in the National League, but they're making it hard on themselves. Since the All-Star break, they're 12-11 and the pitchers have compiled a 4.97 ERA. The Brewers are within striking distance in the NL Central.

"Everything's vacillating," Maddon said. "We have to pitch better and we have to be more consistent at the plate. The fact we are keeping our heads above water while we're going through this moment -- I don't see people hurt, I see people well and that's encouraging.

"It's almost encouraging that we're holding our heads above water and we haven't had that run we normally experience. We just haven't done those two parts of the game consistently well, pitch and hit, since the second half began, to really get on any kind of run."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Mr. 1,000: Albert Almora Jr. singled to lead off the Chicago third and Rizzo followed with his 1,000th career hit, a single to right that second baseman Daniel Murphy just missed. Rizzo also got his first career hit against the Nationals on June 9, 2011, when he was with the Padres. Almora reached third on Rizzo's single and scored on Javier Baez's sacrifice fly. Baez now has 89 RBIs, tops in the National League.

"You can never take that for granted," Rizzo said. "I've been fortunate to pretty much stay healthy my entire career so far. Obviously, it's a nice milestone, but I wanted to pick up the 'W' today as well."

Rizzo has reached base in 15 straight games and is batting .316 in that stretch.

"He's got many more to come," Maddon said of Rizzo. "He's still a young man. There's no telling how many he'll end up with. His baseball hitting acumen is really high."

HE SAID IT "It's never a good time to ride the roller coaster. I get motion sickness anyway." -- Rizzo, on the Cubs' up-and-down stretch since the break

MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY With one out in the Cubs' first, Rizzo was on first and called safe after Roark's second pickoff attempt to first baseman Zimmerman. The Nationals challenged the ruling, and after a review, the call was overturned and Rizzo was out.

In the Nationals' fourth, Matt Wieters scored on Trea Turner's single to center. Almora threw home to Contreras, but Wieters was called safe. The Cubs challenged the ruling, and after a review, the call stood.

UP NEXT Cole Hamels (2-0, 0.82 ERA) will make his Wrigley Field debut as a Cub and face the Nationals' Max Scherzer (15-5, 2.28 ERA) in the series finale. Hamels has given up one earned run over 11 innings in his two starts with the Cubs. He's 16-9 with a 2.67 ERA vs. the Nationals but hasn't faced them since 2015. This will be Hamels' first game at Wrigley Field since July 17, 2016 (he threw the no-hitter there in 2015). First pitch was scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.

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Cubs.com Rizzo on 1,000th career hit: 'Very special' By Matthew Martell

CHICAGO -- Anthony Rizzo grounded a single to right field for his 1,000th career hit in the third inning of the Cubs' 9-4 loss to the Nationals on Saturday at Wrigley Field. The single advanced Albert Almora Jr. to third with nobody out and Chicago trailing, 3-0.

"It's not easy to get a hit in this game, ever, so to be able to do that is very special," Rizzo said. "Obviously, it's a nice milestone, but I wanted to pick up the 'W' today as well."

Rizzo's first career hit, a triple off Livan Hernandez, also came against the Nationals, on June 9, 2011, while he was playing with the Padres. It was his first Major League game. Of Rizzo's first 1,000 knocks, 982 came with the Cubs.

The 29-year-old first baseman has been on fire in the 26 games since he became the Cubs' leadoff hitter, a move that was originally designed to be only temporary.

However, he's performed so well batting first, manager Joe Maddon has had little choice but to keep him there. Rizzo is batting .358 (34-for-95) with six doubles, one triple and five homers since he moved to the leadoff spot on July 13. Rizzo was hit by a pitch in the first inning Saturday to extend his on-base streak to 15 games.

"I thought it was pretty neat that it came out of the one-hole, too," Maddon said. "He's still working great at-bats up there." His recent surge has featured personal milestones other than his 1,000th hit. Last Saturday vs. the Padres, Rizzo recorded his 182nd home run with the Cubs, passing Alfonso Soriano for 11th most in franchise history.

Rizzo also played in his 1,000th career game on July 26, which he capped off with a walk-off home run against the D-backs at Wrigley.

After the Cubs' fell behind 9-1 in the fourth inning, Rizzo batted once more, when he flied out in the fifth, before he was given the rest of the afternoon off.

"He's got many more [hits] to come," Maddon said. "He's still a young man. There's no telling how many he's going to end up with. His baseball-hitting acumen is really high. He works good at-bats. He's willing to concede different things during the course of an at-bat. "It's really fun to watch him play."

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Cubs.com Bryant pain-free after taking dry swings By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant was finally allowed to pick up a bat and take some swings, and the best news for the third baseman and the Cubs is that he didn't feel any pain in his left shoulder.

Bryant, sidelined since July 24 with inflammation in his left shoulder, is only taking what are called "dry swings," which means he's not in the batting cage yet, but it's another step in the process.

"It's still going slow, but that seems to be the smart thing to do," Bryant said Saturday. "It's nothing super crazy -- it is nice to be able to pick up a bat."

The Cubs have taken a slow approach to build up strength in his shoulder. No pain is a good thing.

"It means what we're doing is working and the right thing," Bryant said. "Hopefully, it makes me a better player. There's things I need to maintain with my body, and hopefully this will make me stronger. As much as it stinks to be on the [disabled list], I look at it as a win for me."

There is no timetable for Bryant's return. What will change is how much time he spends in the batting cages pregame in the future.

"I think where the problem started coming from is I was taking game-like swings in the cage and in B.P. and off the machine," Bryant said. "In the game, you're taking maybe five to 10 swings a day at that intensity. ... That's the plan going forward is to practice a little slower in the cage and in batting practice."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon is not a proponent of batting practice, so he was glad to hear that Bryant will limit his time in the cage.

"Do your work and do enough of it to get to that level where it feels good and right and then get away," Maddon said. "You're just going to either develop bad habits or eventually wear your body down to the point where it does break down and all the good things you think you did in the past are counterproductive."

Bryant, 26, should benefit down the road.

"It's good for me to realize that you can't keep going every day and swinging and swinging and swinging," he said. "It's good for me to see early in my career. It's nice to change things here and there -- I want to play until I'm 40. I'm glad this happened early."

Worth noting

• Cubs catcher Willson Contreras and first baseman Anthony Rizzo were able to pick off the Nationals' at first base on Friday, a play the two have perfected.

"It was first and second with no outs," Contreras said. "I was looking at the runner and he was giving his back to first base. From that position, to get back to first is going to be tough. You have to turn around and it's going to take some seconds to get to first base. It was a special play because once I looked, Rizzo gave me the sign. We thought it was the right time. We finally did it, and it worked out for us. It was amazing."

How do they make the decision on the play?

"That kind of play is more eye contact and finding the right spot to pick off," Contreras said. "A lot of times you throw to the bases just to keep the runner honest so they don't take big leads. But when you have first and second, you see the person running giving his back to the first-base coach, there's no way that he can get back to first."

• On Sunday night, Cole Hamels will make his Wrigley Field debut as a member of the Cubs opposite the Nationals' Max Scherzer in a marquee matchup. Maddon is hoping Hamels gets the same feel for his that he had in his Cubs debut on Aug. 1 against the Pirates, when he struck out nine, including six on .

"I love when he uses his changeup," Maddon said of Hamels. "I think it's an outstanding pitch. That pitch is devastating."

• Maddon was ejected for the second time this season on Friday while arguing an interference call made on Contreras as he was running to first base. He doesn't hold any grudges.

"Unless it's brought up, I forget about it quickly," Maddon said. "I've had my dust ups and we kind of giggle about it at another time."

Said Contreras: "Joe always has our backs. Joe knows that they made the wrong call in that situation. If the throw came from the catcher, I can understand it. [But] it came from third base and I don't think that was a good call."

• On Friday night, Maddon and artist Jason Skeldon raised $30,000 for Respect 90 Foundation by selling some of Skeldon's baseball-themed artwork.

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Cubs.com Cubs recall Ravizza: 'No one can replace him' By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- How does a 70-year-old professor of kinesiology help a 20-something Major League outfielder deal with a batting slump? Ken Ravizza found a way. He kept his message simple and to the point.

"There was a time when he actually jumped on my back," Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber said of Ravizza. "He's like, 'Now, try to hit like this.' It put it in perspective. If you don't let things go, they'll pile up."

Ravizza passed away on July 8, and a celebration of his life will be held on Sunday in southern . It will be a tough day for Cubs manager Joe Maddon, who worked with Ravizza for more than 30 years, beginning with their days together in the Angels' organization. Ravizza led the Cubs' mental skills department.

"He was an innovator in this game," Schwarber said. "No one knew what the mental side of baseball was [before Ravizza]. It was always part of the game, but no one knew how to teach it or how to get the best out of the players' mental side. That's where Ken came in."

When Schwarber was sent down to the Minor Leagues last season, Ravizza was the one who helped him put things in perspective.

"He was the outlet for you on how you were feeling on a daily basis at the field or at home," Schwarber said. "He'd give you things to practice every day to put yourself in a better place.

"I loved Ken," Schwarber said. "He was a guy who would come in the clubhouse and always put a big smile on your face. He walks in and he's kind of a goofy guy -- [he'd say,] 'Hey, man, how's it going, man? You're looking good, man.' I could be feeling like crap and he'd tell me I was doing great. Those are the things that we're going to miss about him."

Ravizza always had a smile on his face and he would look someone directly in the eye during conversations. Nationals manager Dave Martinez, who knew Ravizza from his days as Maddon's bench coach with the Rays and Cubs, writes "K.R". on his cap in memory of the sports psychologist.

Cubs pitcher Mike Montgomery met Ravizza when he was with Tampa Bay. Both were from southern California and connected immediately.

"When I came here, especially in the playoffs in '16, I remember working with him almost every day," Montgomery said. "It gave me a sense of calm and after I got done talking to him, I came out of there feeling like a million bucks. It was like, 'I want to take the ball.'"

Montgomery still uses Ravizza's lessons.

"I think the beautiful thing was that he never was trying to force certain things," Montgomery said. "He basically gave you suggestions and his thoughts more than, 'Hey, do it like this.' For me, he helped build my self-confidence. He would always tell me, 'Make a good pitch, not a great pitch. You're not that [bad] where you have to make a great pitch every time. Just make good pitches.'

"I still hear that a lot and I take that a lot," Montgomery said.

The left-hander began the season in the Cubs' bullpen and moved into the rotation when Yu Darvish was injured. Montgomery had made it clear he wanted to start.

"When I was frustrated about the role I was in, I'd talk to him about it, and I could air out everything I wanted to and he would always have a response that just made me think, 'Man, why am I even worried about all of this? Why don't you just go out there and perfect your craft?'" Montgomery said. "It was funny, because he'd say, 'Do you hear yourself talking?' I'd say, 'You're right, Ken. I'm worried about when I'm pitching as opposed to how I'm pitching.'

"I definitely miss him," Montgomery said. "I feel there's that void. You can't fill that. No one can replace him."

Many big league players credit Ravizza for helping their careers.

"I'm sure he's up above right now, probably just living the dream because he doesn't have to deal with our crap anymore," Schwarber said. "We thank him every day. He was such a great human and a great teacher."

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ESPNChicago.com Can Cole Hamels be the stopper the Cubs need in their rotation? By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- In no less of a marquee matchup than it would have been a few years ago, Chicago Cubs lefty Cole Hamels will take the mound for his home debut against three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals on Sunday night. Scherzer is as elite a performer as ever, but it has been the 34-year-old Hamels' return to top form that has Cubs players and fans buzzing.

Hamels is 2-0 and sporting a nifty 0.82 ERA for his new team after beating the and Kansas City Royals in his first two starts for the Cubs. He was no sure thing to regain his mojo after coming over in a July trade from Texas, where he had compiled a 4.72 ERA, including plenty of struggles in the month before the deal.

But now? Cubs manager Joe Maddon sees the same Hamels who helped the Phillies beat him in the and the same one who no-hit Maddon and the Cubs in 2015.

"He may have thrown a little harder back then," Maddon said. "But he's still throwing hard. It's not like he's lost his fastball. He hasn't.

"I love when he uses his changeup. And I love when he uses his . ... The hook is there, and then it's gone. The changeup is the pitch I've always loved with him."

Maddon called Hamels' changeup "devastating," and it certainly was in his first start when he used it to strike out six Pirates, the most with that pitch since his no-hitter against the Cubs. But it was his second outing that really opened eyes, because Hamels didn't have his best stuff -- including that changeup -- yet he gave up only one run over six innings.

"You have a little more to play for now," former and current Hamels teammate Jesse Chavez said of suiting up for a winning team. "Things can get a little bit sharper, a little bit crisper. You focus a little more. It's Cole Hamels. He's done it all."

And he's doing it again, for a team that desperately needs some consistency in its rotation. And some longer outings. Hamels isn't pleased he has been unable to get to the seventh inning in his first two starts as a Cub. Older pitchers like himself and fellow lefty Jon Lester are obsessed with lasting into and past the seventh inning.

"That's my job," Hamels said the day after his most recent start.

Perhaps Sunday will be the game for him. After all, his career ERA at Wrigley Field is 1.76, which includes nine innings of no-hit ball July 25, 2015. That game has come up several times since Hamels was acquired.

"We've been talking about that quite a bit," injured third baseman Kris Bryant said. "He was on that day. And he remembers every pitch he made that day, as well. Like a backdoor cutter to me, he struck me out. He remembers a forceout by [Anthony] Rizzo. But I guess when you throw a no-hitter, especially here, you're probably going to remember every out you get."

It's true. Hamels does remember it all, including two great catches by Odubel Herrera late in the game to preserve the no-no. The second came on a ball Bryant hit with two out in the ninth as Herrera went to the wall in center and came back to grab the ball as it neared the ground.

"Herrera made that stupid, ridiculous catch," Bryant said, shaking his head. "I've played it three times since he joined the team. I still can't believe he caught that ball.

"Sunday will be fun. Too bad I can't be out there, but it's been fun watching Cole. He fits perfectly in this clubhouse and looks like he did that day [in 2015]. He's such an amazing guy."

The Cubs need him to be amazing, because their most reliable arm, Lester, has had a terrible second half so far. He got hit hard in a 9-4 loss Saturday. Now they need their new stopper to help them win a series against a team desperate for victories.

"He's been in the World Series before, so I don't think anything is going to change just because it's Sunday night against Scherzer," Chavez said. "I love this matchup even if I wasn't at the ballpark."

Will the old Hamels show up? He already has. And Maddon has had a front-row seat for his best performances: winning World Series MVP in 2008 against Maddon's Rays and then no-hitting his Cubs in 2015. Add two more really good starts to Hamels' résumé -- this time to help Maddon. Will he make it a third on Sunday?

"He's in great shape, competes and has a great way about him," Maddon said. "If there is a difference [from his old self], it's minor."

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ESPNChicago.com First-place Cubs breaking even in the second half, not breaking away By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- It's that time of year, when we break down the first-place Chicago Cubs to assess whether their glass is half-full or half-empty. Putting aside the rest of the competition in the National League -- just for a moment -- there are some alarming trends for the two-time Central Division champions.

At a time of year when veteran manager Joe Maddon usually has his teams firing on all cylinders, the Cubs are having trouble starting the car. After a miserable 9-4 loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday, Maddon's team dropped to 12-11 since the All-Star break. Not awful, but also not so wonderful for a team with World Series aspirations. Now here's where it gets interesting.

According to the Pythagorean formula, which factors in a team's luck in runs scored and allowed, the Cubs should actually be 9-14 in the second half. That looks a lot worse, doesn't it? Conversely, they were

"unlucky" in the first half, when they should have essentially been four games better than they wound up, so overall the luck factor has kind of evened itself out for the Cubs so far this year. But here the glass-half-empty thought appears: The more recent trend is the more negative one, and if their second- half "luck" runs out, then what?

"Everything has vacillated," Maddon said after Saturday's loss. "We have to pitch better and be more consistent at the plate. We have to do that. ... We haven't done those two parts of the game consistently well, pitch and hit since the second half began to get on any kind of run."

Pitch and hit. Isn't that pretty much the entire game outside of defense? At least in that area, Maddon is satisfied with his team's play. But as much as a positive run differential has defined the Cubs since they became contenders in 2015, their mark in the second half of this season stands out: It's minus-22. They rank sixth in scoring in the second half -- down from first before the All-Star break -- and their ERA is an unseemly 4.97 since the break, ranking 13th in the NL.

"You have to keep staying positive with them [the players] and have to believe it's going to come back," Maddon said.

The stats say one thing and the eye test backs it up. The Cubs have squeaked by with some wins and have been blown out in some bad losses -- producing that negative run differential. On Friday, they were getting no-hit before the sixth inning happened. Nationals starter walked three straight batters with two outs and no one on base; the Cubs won the game 3-2. Other times, teams have imploded on defense -- out of nowhere -- again opening up chances to gobble up some wins. And the Cubs have. It's a credit to their perseverance to stay the course, which has resulted in some victories -- Rizzo's 13-pitch at-bat against Hellickson in that key inning being a great example.

But sometimes, those "lucky" runs end and all a team is left with are what it does at the plate and on the mound, which, right now, doesn't bode well for the Cubs.

That brings us to the glass being half-full.

"I feel good about the fact we are keeping our head above water while we're going through this moment," Maddon said.

In other words, they're getting wins when they don't necessarily deserve them, keeping the team in the race until they play better. With other teams, perhaps that better play would never show up, but these Cubs have talent and experience. And don't forget, as flawed as they can look for a team 18 games over .500, every single contender in the NL -- and the Central Division -- has its own flaws as well.

If the Cubs can stay the course long enough, perhaps good things are around the corner. After all, are they really going to rank 13th in pitching in the NL the rest of the way? That's a tough one to predict. And speaking of predictions, things still bode well for them: According to FiveThirtyEight, the Cubs have a 91 percent chance of reaching the postseason and a 75 percent chance of winning the division again.

It's at this point that Rizzo's often repeated mantra might apply. The Cubs need to weather the ups and downs, right now, hoping better days are ahead.

"It's never a good time to ride a roller coaster," Rizzo said. "I get motion sickness anyway."

So do Cubs fans when they see those second-half numbers, despite the Cubs' winning record.

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ESPNChicago.com Cubs' Jon Lester laments being in 'rut' after latest shaky outing By Jesse Rogers

CHICAGO -- Another poor start for Cubs lefty Jon Lester has him down but not out. Lester gave up eight runs to the Washington Nationals in 3⅔ innings on Saturday, ballooning his second-half ERA to 10.33 after compiling a 2.58 mark in the first half.

"At the end of the day the results aren't there, and this is a results-driven industry" Lester said after the Cubs 9-4 loss. "I'm not doing my job."

Lester gave up three home runs, extending a streak of allowing at least one long ball to eight straight starts, a personal high and the longest by a Cubs lefty since Shawn Estes in 2003. He gave up 10 hits overall -- nine on his fastball -- but despite the ugly numbers the Cubs don't see a lot wrong with him. He's healthy and his velocity is consistent with his first half.

"When I watch from the side I don't see anything differently," manager Joe Maddon said. "If a guy is injured or there is a dramatic drop off in something, then I'd be concerned. He looks the same to me."

Lester described what he's going through as a "rut" in which he is making the wrong pitch at the wrong time. In one instance Saturday, he thought he had struck out Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman on a check swing in the first inning, only to give up a home run to him on the next pitch.

"I feel like I struck out Zimmerman, and now I have to make another pitch and now I don't," Lester said. "It just kind of seems where I'm at right now. When I have to make a pitch I don't. ... It's been my whole year. When I do have a hitter on the defense I'm not putting them away."

Some advanced metrics predicted this second half regression though Maddon said he wasn't given anything definitive by Cubs brass to account for it.

"I have heard different things, about the ball being hit hard [in the first half] and all that stuff," Maddon said. "That happens to everybody. None of our guys have come to me and said, 'He's not doing this or he's doing that.' I have not heard that from anybody."

Lester was the backbone of a shaky staff in the first half, but now he said he views himself as the weak link.

"The rotation has been throwing the ball well, and now I'm the guy that's not," he said. "That's a bad feeling."

In reality, the Cubs rotation is barely hanging on, ranking ninth in starter's ERA in the National League, and that was before Lester's meltdown against the Nationals. Though the outlook seems bleak, the all- star isn't treating his situation any different than any other slump.

"This is the ebbs and flows of the season," Lester said. "Unfortunately, I'm pretty down right now as far as where I've been pitching. ... I've been through it before. I've come out the other end just fine.

"When you're not getting results, you immediately want to run to something. You want to run to tipping, you want to run to mechanical, you want to run to whatever. Sometimes it's really nothing.

There have been times I haven't thrown the ball well and I've been, I guess, pretty open to [admitting] that. ... I don't want to cop out on anything. I guess I'm in this rut right now. I don't know."

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NBC Sports Chicago Jon Lester's struggles have hit alarming stage for Cubs By Tony Andracki

Just before Jon Lester walked off the mound to hit the showers, a smattering of boos rained down from the 41,320 fans at Wrigley Field.

My, how the turntables have...

This is the same Jon Lester that signed a $155 million deal before the 2015 campaign, immediately bringing a championship credibility to the clubhouse and changing the culture of losing.

The same Jon Lester that was co-NLCS MVP in 2016 and pitched out of relief to help the Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years.

The same Jon Lester that has a career 2.55 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 148 postseason innings.

The same Jon Lester who was being heralded as the savior of an underperforming Cubs rotation for the first three-plus months of the 2018 campaign.

Booing Lester is silly, but you can't blame Cubs fans for being frustrated with the results of late (Lester's surely frustrated, too).

After getting tattooed for 8 earned runs in 3.2 innings during Saturday's game against the Nationals, Lester's season ERA has ballooned to 3.89.

Neither Lester nor Joe Maddon had any answers Saturday evening about what's behind these struggles or how - specifically - to right the ship, but neither projected a "sky is falling" attitude.

"I feel like I made some really good pitches today that didn't go my way and that's kinda where Im at right now," Lester said. "When I didn't, they got hit. That's the price you have to pay when you don't execute when you need to. These are big league hitters. The more opportunity that you give them to stay within that count or stay within that at-bat, the more likelihood they are to get a hit or hit something hard.

"Like I said, it's really been my whole year, I feel like when I do have a hitter on the defense, I'm not putting them away. I'm either just off or just down or they foul it off and now it's on to the next pitch. Unfortunatley, it's where I'm at right now and I need to make the adjustment somehow.

"...At the end of the day, the results aren't there and this is a results-driven industry. And I'm not doing my job."

He earned a spot on the All-Star team last month thanks to a 12-2 record, 2.58 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, but things have not been great since then.

His second-half numbers have been alarming: A 10.32 ERA, 2.07 WHIP, 36 hits and 9 homers allowed in 22.2 innings. Over those five starts, Lester surrendered at least 4 earned runs in four of them.

Of the 25 innings Lester has thrown a pitch in since the All-Star Break, he's managed to record just three "1-2-3" innings.

Lester was the anchor the Cubs badly needed in the rotation in the first half and now his struggles come at a time when Kyle Hendricks and Mike Montgomery are finding their groove and Cole Hamels has been a boost to the starting five.

"I guess I'm just in this rut right now," Lester said. "I don't know. I probably felt like that was some of the better stuff I've had over the last couple starts and that was the outcome. So unfortunately the rotation has been throwing the ball well and now I'm the guy that's not.

"That's a bad feeling. Bad feeling personally as a teammate, letting the team down, letting the bullpen down, all of the above. Continue to work and continue to try and figure it out and make adjustments."

Maddon insists he doesn't see anything differently from the Cubs ace, that he's healthy, velocity isn't down and "stuff" has been good.

"i'm not really worried about him right now," Maddon said. "Again, if he was injured, I'd be more concerned. If there was something that looked dramatically different, but I don't see that. Sometimes, it's like a hitter, you go through a little bit of a slump, then you come back out of it.

"But I don't see anything dramatically different the way he's winding up, throwing the baseball and the numbers on the board [velocity] look the same. It's gotta be an execution situation."

In actuality, Lester's velocity is down again overall this season, but only very slightly from the dip he experienced in 2017. His "stuff" has not been as effective, however.

FanGraphs rates Lester's cutter at -3.9 runs above average after that was his bread-and-butter pitch in 2017 (9.1 runs above average) and 2016 (18.7). His changeup is the only pitch that rates positively right now, but he only throws that about 10 percent of the time.

A lot of this right now could be regression after experiencing quite a bit of luck in the first half.

That doesn't make it any less concerning for the Cubs, however.

During his 3.2 innings Saturday, 8 Nationals registered an exit velocity of at least 100 mph when they made contact, including the last 7 balls in play off Lester. On top of that, 4 more balls were hit with an exit velocity of at least 90 mph.

Lester maintained he's healthy and while he's not happy with his performance, he's not going to overreact, either. Like usual, he was very self-aware and open as he refused to make excuses after this latest bump in the road.

"Yeah. I'm not worried about it," Lester said. "I shouldn't say that. I don't want to take away from today — today was pretty bad as far as the results. But this is the ebbs and flows of the season. Unfortunately, I'm pretty down right now as far as where I've been pitching and giving innings and my start date hasn't been great and I need to pick that part up.

"But I've been through it before; I've come out the other end just fine. I gotta keep working. Unfortunately in this game, it's results-driven and when you're not getting results, you want to immediately run to something. You want to run to you're tipping [pitches], you want to run to mechanical [issues], you want to whatever and sometimes it's really nothing. It's just about a little bit of luck, a little something here or there to give you that break.

"I dont' want to take anything away from today, but I'm not worried. I feel great physically. It's not like I'm battling anything to try to execute pitches. It's just for whatever reason, I'm not executing when I need to and getting those outs. I knew after the first inning today they were gonna be aggressive to the fastball and they were. I just wasn't able to put them away before I had to go back to that fastball and that's all on me."

Even before Saturday's game, Lester was allowing the highest "hard contact" rate and lowest "soft contact" rate of his career.

Couple that with his lowest rate since 2008 and highest walk rate since 2011 and it adds up to yet another huge question mark in a Cubs rotation full of those.

Forget how a playoff rotation may take shape for this Cubs team — the more pressing concern now is how Lester navigates through the final seven weeks of the regular season before October even begins.

Lester is a seasoned veteran and has an incredible track record of success, so chances are still very high he can transform back into a frontline pitcher for this Cubs rotation. But even he admits he's a different pitcher now at age 34 than he was in 2016 when he was challenging for the NL Cy Young.

His Cubs teammates aren't concerned, either.

"Jonny's a pro," Anthony Rizzo said. "He knows how to handle success and he knows how to handle failure with the best of them. He's our horse, we lean on him and we're gonna continue to lean on him down the stretch.

"I know for a fact that we have all the confidence in the world when he goes on the mound to pitch well and get us a W."

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NBC Sports Chicago Kris Bryant is pain-free and has no doubt he'll return to Cubs in 2018 By Tony Andracki

Breathe easy, Cubs fans. Grab another cold drink, put your feet up and soak in the sun — there's good news on the Kris Bryant front.

Before a picture-perfect afternoon game against the Nationals at Wrigley Field Saturday, Bryant took some swings and ground balls and reported zero pain in his left shoulder.

"I should be [feeling better] — I've had some time off and really not doing too much," he said. "Just keeping my legs in shape, but yeah, I feel a lot better."

Bryant is only taking dry swings (with no baseball) and hitting a little off a batting tee, but it's a start.

"Nothing super crazy, but it's nice to be able to pick up a bat," he said. "Obviously still kinda going a little slow, but seems to be the smart thing to do."

The Cubs are making sure they won't rush Bryant back this time and will allow the left shoulder to be 100 percent before inserting the 2016 NL MVP back into the lineup.

The postseason is only about seven weeks away, but Bryant has no doubt he'll make it back in time to contribute this year.

"Yeah, absolutely. I feel confident [I'll be back]," he said. "It would be pretty silly if I wasn't, just in my mind. I'm totally confident that I'll be back."

Bryant injured the shoulder in late May on a slide and believes he aggravated it by taking too many swings to try to bust out of a slump. That led to a few weeks on the shelf, missing games from June 23 to July 10.

He came back for 10 games before again hurting his shoulder on a swing against the on July 23. He hasn't played since then and this weekend is the first time he's picked up a bat in almost three weeks.

There is no set plan for Bryant or timetable for when he will return and while he's anxious to get back, he acknowledges things are moving in the right direction.

And no pain in the shoulder is as good a sign as any at the moment.

"Obviously means what we're doing is working and the right thing," Bryant said. "Hopefully it makes me a better player, knowing that there's things that I need to do to maintain my body and hopefully it's making me stronger for it.

"As much as it stinks to be on the DL, I see it as a win for me."

Bryant is only 26, but he has realized that he needs to back off with his pregame and off-day routine, finding a way to limit the high-intensity swings until the game.

He felt like he was taking too many "game-like swings" in the batting cage and during BP on the field, so moving forward in his career, he'll lighten that load.

Anthony Rizzo has come to the same conclusion over the last couple years as he's dealt with an episode of back issues at some point during the course of each season.

It's a lesson learned the hard way for Bryant.

"It was good for me to realize that," he said. "You can't keep going every day and just swinging and swinging and swinging because things might bark at you sometimes. And that's kinda what happened.

"It's good for me to see early on in my career that it's nice to change some things here and there so that you can play [longer]. I want to play until I'm 40."

Bryant hasn't made any major changes or adjustments to his swing, but through this process, he has understood the value of getting back to having a smooth follow-through to avoid the wear and tear on his shoulder.

After all, Bryce Harper calls Bryant "Silk" because of how smooth and fluid the Cubs superstar is on the field.

"Just be conscious of my workload and the violence of a finish rather than me being smooth and easy with it, especially in practice," Bryant said. "So that's kinda what our focus is."

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Chicago Tribune Jon Lester gets rocked — again — in Cubs' 9-4 loss to Nationals By Teddy Greenstein

It was a sad image: Jon Lester, the sturdy and proud anchor of the Cubs’ rotation, lowering his head and shuffling some mound dirt at Wrigley Field, his team down eight runs.

He was stalling, waiting for manager Joe Maddon to end an outing that ranked among the worst of his 12-year career.

It was clear early in Saturday’s 9-4 loss to the Nationals that Lester’s tank was to ‘E’ than ‘F’ and that his ERA, which stood at 2.10 in late June, would continue to swell. But it took Ryan Zimmerman’s second scorched home run for Maddon to rescue the left-hander.

Lester’s pitching line: 3 2/3 innings, 10 hits, nine runs, eight earned, one walk, five strikeouts. His ERA is at 3.89, yet he remains confident. And a little baffled.

“When you’re not getting results you want to run to something — you’re tipping (pitches) or mechanical or whatever,” he said. “Sometimes it’s nothing, just a little bit of luck here and there. I’m not worried. I feel great physically.”

Maddon also said he’s not worried: “Watching from the side, I’m seeing the same stuff.”

Lester’s misery index started climbing July 20, when the Cardinals drubbed him for eight runs in three- plus innings. After the game Lester ragged on the sabermetricians who had predicted his decline, noting he had benefited from a plethora of hard-contact outs early in the season’s first half.

“There are people who have nothing better to do and overanalyze things,” he said that day. “I guess I’m old school. Watch the game.”

Lester did not get the benefit of check-swing ruling on a 2-2 pitch to Zimmerman in the first inning Saturday, and the first baseman hammered his next pitch, a 91 mph , into the bleachers in left-center.

“I feel like I struck out Zimmerman and then (after the ruling) I have to make another pitch, and I don’t,” he said. “It seems when I have to make a pitch, I don’t. I’m just off or just down.”

Lester noted that nine of the 10 hits he allowed came on . His best pitch was a fastball at the knees that froze on a 3-2 count. Mostly, though, he gave up hard contact — even on the outs.

So what happens next? Is there a skipped turn in the rotation for a pitcher with a 10.32 ERA in his last five starts?

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that with anybody, but I don’t see that (happening),” Maddon said. “We’ll talk to him. Whatever he needs, we’re gonna do. Physically he looks fine.”

Indeed, skipping Lester seems highly unlikely.

The Cubs already are easing Mike Montgomery’s workload. Yu Darvish is still weeks away — at best. scuffled (32 strikes, 25 balls over three innings) while mopping up Saturday’s lopsided loss.

The heart of the Cubs’ rotation, Lester, likely will need to find his way out of baseball purgatory.

“Jonny’s the ultimate pro,” Anthony Rizzo said. “He knows how to handle success and failure with the best of them. He’s our horse and we will continue to lean on him down the stretch. We’re not too worried.”

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Chicago Tribune Injured Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish set to throw a simulated game Tuesday By Teddy Greenstein

Yu Darvish, who hasn’t pitched for the Cubs since May 20 because of right triceps tendinitis, will throw a simulated game Tuesday.

Closer Brandon Morrow, out since July 15 with right biceps tendinitis, played long toss Friday.

Drew Smyly, the 29-year-old lefty signed to a two-year deal despite undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery last summer, expressed some concern over lingering soreness on days after he throws bullpen sessions but said Saturday that “the doctors and trainers say it’s normal.”

Darvish told Smyly it took 14-15 months for him to return to the majors. Smyly, just past 13 months, remains hopeful for a September return.

Grand moment: Anthony Rizzo stroked his 1000th career hit Saturday against the Nationals, a sharp grounder past second base in the third inning. The Wrigley Field crowd of 41,320 cheered and the ball was returned to the Cubs dugout.

Rizzo, 29, reached base his first two times but was picked off and caught stealing.

He recalled of his first career hit: “Left-center, Livan Hernandez, a triple. (I was) 10-15 pounds lighter. It’s not easy to get a hit in this game — ever. To do that (reach 1,000) was very special.”

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Chicago Tribune Kris Bryant starting to swing bat, 'totally confident' he will play again this season By Teddy Greenstein

Kris Bryant has a bum shoulder.

And for that he says: Thank you.

Here is his rationale. If not for the sore left shoulder that has sidelined him since July 24, Bryant would not have altered a demanding practice regimen that he now views as overly counterproductive.

“I’m glad it happened this early because I want to play till I’m 40,” he said. “As much as it stinks to be on the DL, I see this as a win for me.”

Manager Joe Maddon was thrilled to hear a summary of those comments relayed to him.

“All those swings taken for so many years, I would bet that it was overdone, not necessary,” Maddon said. “We’ve all been taught that the right way to do things is to do more and more and you’ll be better because of it … what we’ve created over the last 30 years or so with batting cages and machines and tunnels, we’ve permitted this situation where guys feel like it’s the right way to do it. I’m telling you, man, if that was the right way to do it, everybody would be a .300 hitter and nobody would strike out.

“You have to figure out what’s right for you and what you can withstand as a human being. I learned this a while ago and I’m glad he’s seeing that right now. Do your work, enough of it to feel good and right. And then get away. (Otherwise) you’ll either develop bad habits or it will wear your body down.”

Bryant said there’s no timetable for his return but said he is “totally confident” he will play again this season. He is taking ground balls and “stages of” dry swings without a baseball.

“It’s going slow, but that seems to be the smart thing to do,” he said.

Bryant believes his shoulder has been adversely affected by taking too many “violent” swings in pregame work.

“Practice a little slower in the cage,” he said of his new plan, “and then have more for the game.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Jon Lester gets hit hard again as Nationals rout Cubs By Chris Kuc

The numbers indicate that Jon Lester hasn’t been the pitcher he was during the first three months.

But manager Joe Maddon wasn’t buying it, saying before Lester took the mound Saturday against the Nationals that his “stuff looks exactly the same. He’s not tired; he’s not hurt. Sometimes the game just rolls with luck and bad luck [on] balls in play. I think he looks fine, actually.”

He didn’t look anywhere close to fine against the Nationals, actually.

Lester was pounded for nine runs — eight earned — and 10 hits in 3‰ innings during the Nationals’ 9-4 dismantling of the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

It was Lester’s third consecutive defeat, and in his last eight starts beginning on July 1, he has a 2-3 record with an 8.01 ERA. Lester is loath to let statistics tell the tale, but in the first three months, he was 10-2 with a 2.18 ERA.

“I don’t want to cop out on anything, but I guess I’m just in this rut right now,” Lester said. “I probably felt like that was some of the best stuff I’ve had over the last couple of starts, and that was the outcome.

“Unfortunately, the rotation has been throwing the ball well, and now I’m the guy that’s not. That’s a bad feeling . . . personally just as a teammate, letting the team down, the bullpen down, all of the above. I’ll continue to work and continue to try to figure it out and make an adjustment.”

After the game, Maddon doubled down on his assessment of Lester, reiterating that nothing seems to have changed with him.

“From the naked eye on the sidelines, I don’t see a whole lot different,” Maddon said. “If a guy is injured or there is a dramatic drop-off in something, then of course I’d become more concerned. But I’m not seeing that. He looks the same to me.”

Lester didn’t have it from the get-go as Ryan Zimmerman launched the first of his two home runs off him in the first to give the Nats a 2-0 lead.

Washington tacked on another in the third before the Cubs did their only early damage off Nationals starter Tanner Roark when Javy Baez drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Nationals dropped a six-spot on Lester in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run homer from Daniel Murphy and a three-run bomb from Zimmerman. The Cubs later got two RBI from Ben Zobrist and one from Willson Contreras, but by that time the game was essentially over.

Despite Lester’s struggles, there isn’t wide-ranging concern in the Cubs’ clubhouse that he won’t turn it around.

“[This game] was pretty bad as far as results, but these are the ebbs and flows of the season,” Lester said. “Unfortunately, I’m pretty down right now as far as where I’ve been pitching and getting innings, [and] my start day hasn’t been great. I need to pick that part up.

‘‘I’ve been through it before and come out the other end just fine. I have to keep working.”

Rizzo, whose single in the third was his 1000th career hit, expressed his confidence in Lester’s ability to bounce back.

“This is what happens,’’ Rizzo said. ‘‘You go through good times during the season, and you go through bad times during the season. It doesn’t matter who you are. I think 99.9 percent of the league goes through it. [Lester] is the ultimate pro, so we’re not too worried.”

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs’ Kris Bryant pain-free, resumes swinging a bat By Chris Kuc

There’s still no definite timetable for his return to the lineup, but Kris Bryant has taken a big step toward that goal.

Bryant has begun dry-swinging and is working toward hitting off a tee for the first time since being put on the disabled list July 24 with inflammation in his left shoulder.

“Nothing super-crazy, but it’s nice to be able to pick up a bat,” Bryant said after taking grounders at third before the Cubs’ 9-4 loss Saturday to the Nationals at Wrigley Field.

Bryant said he no longer has pain in the shoulder, so “what we’re doing is working and the right thing. There are things that I needed to do to just maintain my body, and hopefully it’s making me stronger for it. As much as it stinks to be on the DL, I see it as a win for me.”

The injury, which has landed Bryant on the DL twice this season, has taught him a valuable lesson when it comes to swinging a bat: too much of it can be detrimental. He said he was taking “game-like” swings in batting practice, and the strain became too much for his shoulder.

“In the cage, you kind of slow things down and work on just taking it nice and easy, and that’s really what’s made me who I am today,” Bryant said. “I really practiced at half-speed, and I think I got a little away from that.

“It was good for me to realize that you can’t keep going every day and swinging and swinging and swinging because things might bark at you sometimes, and that’s kind of what happened. I want to play until I’m 40, so I’m glad it happened this early.”

As far as returning this season, Bryant, who’s 26, said, “I’m totally confident that I’ll be back.”

Lethal weapon

Catcher Willson Contreras hasn’t been shy in using his arm to keep baserunners honest. Against the Nats on Friday, Contreras picked off Juan Soto at first base to help stifle a rally, and the Cubs went on to win 3-2. It was a dangerous throw in a key situation, but manager Joe Maddon is all for taking chances if done right.

“If it’s the right play, make it or attempt to make it, and if it happens to go awry, I don’t care because it was the right thing to do in that moment,” Maddon said. “Do it without concern of making a mistake.”

Contreras said that philosophy gives him confidence to fire at will.

“That’s one thing that helps me a lot,” Contreras said. “Even if I make an error . . . and the runner is able to score, I don’t want to feel bad because that’s who I am. I’m not afraid to make mistakes or make an error, and that’s one thing that makes me free.”

Darvish update

Right-hander Yu Darvish is scheduled to throw live batting practice before the game Tuesday against the Brewers. He has been on the DL since May 23 with tendinitis in his right triceps.

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