Anthony Rizzo’s return Tuesday night was offset when Ben Zobrist had to be scratched from the Cubs lineup with his own stiff lower back against the National League Central rival Cardinals.
The Cubs’ lack of lineup stability has coincided with a choppy start to the season that continued with the control issues of Tyler Chatwood, who turned in another short outing from the club’s rotation.
Chatwood’s seven walks overshadowed his seven strikeouts as he was pulled after throwing 97 pitches in 4 2/3 innings of the eventual 5-3 loss.
“I have to be better with my command,” Chatwood said. “My stuff is always going to be there. It’s a matter of commanding it.”
Whether it’s the raw conditions or the fact the Cubs have played only six games in the last nine days, a lack of rhythm persists in helping to prevent the team from getting off to a strong start.
“I don’t think we’ve played our best baseball by any stretch,” general manager Jed Hoyer said before the game. “That’s for sure. It has been a choppy schedule, and it has made it hard to get into much of a rhythm. I think we had some games early we let get away a bit.”
Hoyer noted that the Cubs’ .500 record wouldn’t look so pedestrian if they had not lost all three of their one-run games entering play Tuesday.
“We definitely didn’t play our best early,” he said. “We definitely struggled in situational hitting early. It’s not the fast start we’re looking for.”
Inconsistency has plagued Chatwood’s starts. Thirteen of his 14 walks have occurred in two of his three starts, and his lack of control haunted him when consecutive walks to Dexter Fowler and Tommy Pham to start the fourth led to two runs.
Chatwood threw 66 pitches through the first three innings and he was pulled after his 97th resulted in a walk to Marcell Ozuna with two outs in the fifth. This marked the fifth time in six games a Cubs starter failed to pitch more than five innings.
And, if Mother Nature cooperates, the rainouts will cease and manager Joe Maddon won’t be afforded the extra days off to keep his bullpen rested.
The Cubs did manage a 4-4 record while Rizzo was sidelined.
“Hopefully this is the end of it,” Rizzo said of his latest back woes, adding that he would incorporate more stretching and maintenance work before starting his daily workouts.
Rizzo subtly dismissed Maddon’s suggestion that he may need to curtail his early work in the batting cage.
“I have a pretty simple routine when it comes to hitting and taking grounders,” Rizzo said. “So if I do any less, I’ll probably have to just stop doing it in general.”
Rizzo went 0-for-3 with a walk in his return.
Zobrist’s late scratch with back trouble may require close monitoring. Zobrist could do only light work as he missed nearly two weeks of games in spring training because of lower back stiffness. That occurred around the time Maddon and he agreed it would be beneficial to give Zobrist, 36, ample rest throughout the season.
But after not playing in the season opener, Zobrist reached base safely six times in the next two games and became a mainstay in the lineup because of his ability to reach base frequently and the high strikeout rates of many of his teammates.
Maddon wasn’t sure of the severity of Zobrist’s back ailment.
As for the Cubs’ malaise ... “This team is going to come through sooner or later,” Rizzo said. “It’s just a matter of time.”
Twitter @MDGonzales
Willson Contreras reverting to his old setup behind the plate — under certain conditions »
Column: Can Kris Bryant hit .325? Are the seats at Wrigley too 'skinny'? Random musings after another Cubs postponement »
Postponements will force Cubs to identify a sixth starting pitcher »