Breaking Down The Cubs' NLDS Pitching Options

[Andrew Wright]

The time for fun and celebration from the Chicago Cubs' Wild Card Series win over the San Diego Padres has come and gone. It is now time to look ahead to Saturday and Chicago's opening game of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers. A stellar pitching effort from the Cubs in the Wild Card Series has, unfortunately, left manager Craig Counsell a bit short-handed on Saturday's starting pitcher.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers just recently reported that Counsell has not yet announced a starter and will wait until all starters throw on Friday before making a decision. Among those under consideration is left-hander Matthew Boyd. Boyd started Game 1 against the Padres on Tuesday, meaning he would be one day short of his typical five-day rest. With Boyd having the second-most innings pitched of his career this season, it's unlikely he'd be brought back on just three days' rest.

If not Boyd, that leaves a door open for none other than Javier Assad to get the starting nod. Assad was not on the roster for the first round, so he would need to be added to the NLDS roster for that to become reality. Assad pitched on the last day of the regular season, meaning he would be back on an extra sixth day of rest, regardless of how fans feel about Assad's tendency to find himself in trouble, announcing him as the starter may be the smartest move from a health perspective.

Let's assume that it is Assad starting Game 1. What does that do for the remainder of the season? The most likely scenario would be Boyd getting Game 2 on Monday and Shota Imanaga getting Game 3 back home at Wrigley Field on Wednesday. Assuming neither side sweeps the series, Counsell should have a plethora of options for the potential Games 4 and 5. Jameson Taillon would likely be available for Game 4 on Thursday, and if the series goes to the fifth game, then what?

An opener in one of the games is also a possibility. We saw it with Andrew Kittredge against San Diego, so it is evident that Counsell likes the idea of having that in his back pocket if needed. Unlike the Padres, though, the Brewers don't have terrifying right-hand sluggers at the top of the lineup. It may be best to save Kittredge for the high-leverage situations he's pitched in since coming over to Chicago at the trade deadline.

It will undoubtedly be interesting to see how Counsell mixes and matches the starting rotation and bullpen during the Brewers series. The bullpen (counting Imanaga) threw 17 2/3 of 27 innings in the first round, meaning Counsell could want his starters going deeper into games against Milwaukee. It is, however, the postseason, and Counsell should not hesitate to make any moves he feels necessary to give his club the best shot to win a game and continue what has the makings of a magical October run.

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