Playing games for 16 consecutive days challenges even the best big-league teams.
Between the daily grind and being nearly 4 1/2 months into the 162-game schedule, the Chicago Cubs earned Thursday’s off day in Toronto, their first since July 24. The exhaustive stretch tested the pitching staff. The Cubs entered Friday’s series opener at the Blue Jays refreshed following the one-day break, part of three off days in a week span.
It allowed the bullpen to get an important reset, especially the back end that has been called on a lot lately. Seven of the Cubs’ last 16 games were decided by two runs or less, creating plenty of high-leverage opportunities. That’s representative of what the Cubs have faced over the last two months in their efforts to dig out of the poor stretch from the end of April into May.
These final seven weeks of the regular season are a stark contrast to the environment manager David Ross and the team faced in the previous two seasons. Trade deadline seller status, and being out of the postseason hunt, meant more of a long-term view of player usage and development after the All-Star breaks in 2021 and 2022.
That has not been the case during the second half of this season.
“Right now there’s guys that are going to lack some at-bats and innings in moments,” Ross said Friday. “You’re going to ride the guys that are doing well. … Myself included, just trying to put the right winning formula out on the field every single day.
“There’s no mandates of this guy’s got to play, that guy’s got to play. It’s, let’s go win baseball games. It’s a refreshing time to be in this push and those guys put themselves in that position and earned it.”
It requires some adjustment from Ross’ position of handling the people part of his job. Every game matters the rest of the way and playing time isn’t guaranteed. The Cubs are optimizing their options. This week it meant moving left-hander Drew Smyly to the bullpen amid his struggles and inconsistencies while moving right-hander Javier Assad into his slot for now. Assad, who got the start Friday night at Rogers Center, earned the opportunity through his performance in a versatile relief role for most of the year.
Conversations with players whose playing time or role has been downsized is an ongoing effort by Ross as the Cubs battle to reach the postseason.
“Some of the bullpen guys when they feel like they’re overworked I try to talk to them and tell them, hey, you’re valued and I understand I’m pushing you hard. Communicating through that and letting everybody know that you see the tough times that come with it. It’s fun when you’re winning, but somebody’s not getting the bats and somebody’s not getting the innings and somebody’s going through things — I think that’s throughout the season — but trying to just be open and honest is the best I can do it, communicate, let guys know.
“That is part of the challenges of that, but it’s all a good thing. Everybody’s here to win. They all know that.”
With three catchers on the roster, Tucker Barnhart’s limited playing time has put him among the players on Ross’ radar lately. Since Aug. 1, Barnhart has pitched in more games (two) than starts behind the plate (one). He hasn’t even recorded a plate appearance after his last start. Despite the Cubs’ heavy schedule over the last 18 days, Barnhart, who wasn’t in the lineup Friday, hasn’t started in 10 days.
Ross doesn’t know when Barnhart will next be in the lineup, but part of his message to the veteran catcher: Be ready because we don’t know what’s going to happen.
“Having success can be really tough when he gets back in there and having those conversations with him and him coming in games that we’re down eight-plus runs and pitching and being able to pick us up and be a great teammate, he works his butt off,” Ross said. “He’s here early hitting when nobody’s here early on. Like, I want to talk to him and let him know that I understand.”
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