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Outlook Javier Assad
Assad remains a steady presence for the Cubs amid a mounting rotation crisis
Assad has been a rock for the second-place Cubs (44-37), who enter the weekend riding a four-game win streak. Over his last 30 days, he has posted a stellar 2.02 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP across four starts, proving his worth as a mid-rotation staple. His health and consistency are more critical than ever for the Chicago rotation, which recently lost both Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown to the 15-day injured list.
While his recent dominance is encouraging, our models suggest his 2.78 ERA over the last fortnight may be slightly unsustainable given his career norms. His season-long 4.29 ERA and 1.10 WHIP align more closely with our projection of a 3.80 ERA for the remainder of the year. Because he lacks elite strikeout stuff, averaging roughly 5.8 K/9 this season, he remains vulnerable to regression if his current excellent command of the strike zone wavers.
Assad already made his lone start of the week on June 24, picking up a victory against the Mets despite surrendering three earned runs over five innings. The Cubs are currently on the road for a tough divisional series against the first-place Brewers, but Assad will not take the mound again during this scoring period. With his weekly contribution already finalized, he is a Sit for the weekend slate but remains a high-priority hold in all standard formats.
Updated 1 day ago
