Cubs Activate John Lackey

The Cubs have activated right-hander John Lackey from the 15-day disabled list, according to a club announcement. Lackey, who went on the DL on Aug. 19 with shoulder soreness, will start the finale of the Cubs’ four-game series with the Giants on Sunday.

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Aside from his DL placement, which was mostly precautionary and didn’t require a rehab stint, Lackey’s first season in Chicago has been outstanding. After leaving National League Central rival St. Louis to sign a two-year, $32MM deal with the Cubs in the offseason, Lackey has registered a 3.41 ERA, 8.87 K/9 and 2.44 BB/9 in 158 1/3 innings. This is the fourth quality season in a row for the soon-to-be 38-year-old Lackey, whose career looked to have gone in the tank as a member of the Red Sox in 2011.

Now that he’s back, Lackey will once again slot into an elite-level rotation that features several other viable starters in Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester, Jason Hammel and Mike Montgomery. Thanks in part to their work, the Cubs enter Sunday 87-48, giving them the majors’ top record and an insurmountable 16.5-game lead over the second-place Cardinals in the NL Central.