Written by Mark Gonzalez at Chicago Tribune
John Lackey’s dominant pitching performance and the return of power to Willson Contreras and Kris Bryant fueled more talk Tuesday night of postseason plans for the Cubs.
But before they actually clinch a playoff berth, the Cubs will need to upgrade their depth given the uncertainty surrounding left-handed-hitting infielder Tommy La Stella.
Before the Cubs coasted to a 5-1 victory over the Angels to extend their winning streak to eight games, general manager Jed Hoyer acknowledged the probable need for a left-handed hitter while La Stella assesses his future.
“We have to think through things from an organization standpoint,” Hoyer said.
La Stella has been placed on the temporarily inactive list after deciding not to report to Triple-A Iowa. He was optioned July 29 to make room for left-handed-hitting outfielder Chris Coghlan.
“Having really good left-handed bats and potentially left-handed bats off the bench is very important for us,” Hoyer said. “We love our depth right now and that may not necessitate a move. But certainly we have to look for left-handed bats to make sure we’re prepared for a good right-handed reliever late in the season.”
After the game, manager Joe Maddon revealed that late-inning reliever Hector Rondon was unavailable Tuesday because of a sore right triceps.
“As soon as I feel good, I’ll be in the game,” said Rondon, who hasn’t pitched since Aug. 2 but warmed up last weekend at Oakland.
Lackey allowed only three hits, one a home run, in eight innings of work.
Contreras and Bryant contributed solo homers while Anthony Rizzo doubled twice and scored two runs.
Meanwhile, the Cubs — from President Theo Epstein to manager Joe Maddon to sports psychologist Ken Ravizza to teammate Matt Szczur — have remained in contact with La Stella, who is pondering his future at his New Jersey home. He can’t become a free agent until 2021.
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