The Chicago Cubs aren’t getting much rest before they play their “domestic” opening day matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday. The Cubs resumed playing a Cactus League contest on Friday, two days after the team wrapped up their two-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Dome.
With a 0-2 record in the regular season, the Cubs had five games to play in the Cactus League before their game against the Diamondbacks once they returned from Japan. Chicago’s players are juggling spring training with a roster that has been trimmed for the regular season and jet lag from the trip to Tokyo.
Chicago Cubs players dealing with side effects of the Japan trip
Per Bob Nightengale with USA Today, reliever Ryan Brasier admitted that he’s having trouble falling asleep after returning to the United States because of jet lag. Shortstop Dansby Swanson is taking “pills” to power through the effects of the trip.
“I’m just going to take some pills and keep it moving,” Swanson said. “It’s better to go ahead and get back into it rather than sit around and wait a couple of days.”
The outcome of games in the Cactus League doesn’t matter, but the Cubs have to hope they can feel back to normal before the regular season resumes on Thursday, especially after the slow start against the defending World Series champs.
A mental and physical toll early in the season
Manager Craig Consell acknowledged that the trip was hard on the team, especially for starting pitcher Shota Imanaga.
“Frankly, he’s a little under the weather,” Counsell said of Imanaga, who was the Cubs starting pitcher on Tuesday. “That trip was a lot for everybody, but for him in particular. So we’re just going to give him a little extra time to recover fully.”
Despite the extra toll the trip is taking on the 0-2 team both mentally and physically before the regular season ramps up this week, Counsell said the Cubs would do the trip all over again.
“Absolutely, great experience,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “I think we’d all sign up for it again. We’d have full participation in an unanimous vote.”
That might be how the Cubs feel after two games in the regular season. But if they miss the playoffs by a game or two…
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