As the Chicago Cubs are on the verge of clinching the NL Central division title for the second-straight year, there are still some concerns.
Right now there’s no clear choice as to who will start Game 1 of a playoff series against the Washington Nationals as it still seems to be a big debate. Jon Lester has been both good and bad in his last two starts and is one of the candidates.
The other? Jake Arrieta, but there’s a small problem.
Arrieta didn’t look himself against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. He gave up three earned runs in just three innings pitched, including two home runs.
The Cubs fell behind early and although they made it interesting late, they were denied the chance to clinch at Busch Stadium Tuesday.
Following the game, Arrieta revealed that he wasn’t 100 percent which should be of some concern to Cubs fans:
Arrieta said he's had to make adjustments in delivery due to hamstring not 100 percent.
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) September 27, 2017
Arrieta suffered a hamstring injury in early September after he exited a game early against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He hasn’t been right since, which causes some concern on him being a Game 1 starter.
He told Cubs.com that he will have to make some adjustments moving forward:
“I’ve had to adjust a couple things in my delivery,” Arrieta said. “It’s still there a little bit, but I’m fine. I’m plenty healthy enough to go out there and compete and pitch at a high level.”
The Cubs have another chance to clinch on Wednesday night, needing just a win or a Milwaukee Brewers loss. It’s likely going to happen and a showdown with the Nationals is in-store.
But the question still looms as to who the Game 1 starter will be, and it’s an important one.
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