34 Jon Lester SP

Lester allowed two runs (zero earned) on eight hits and no walks while striking out six across six innings Tuesday against the Marlins. He did not factor into the decision.

Lester allowed eight baserunners but didn't surrender a free pass and held the Marlins to just two extra-base hits. His only trouble came in the third inning, when he allowed two hits after an error by Kyle Schwarber allowed the second batter of the inning to reach base. Otherwise, it was another strong outing for Lester, as he has allowed one earned run across 18 innings in three starts since returning from a hamstring injury. He'll look to keep that going in his next outing, likely to come Sunday against Milwaukee.

Lester (2-1) tossed seven scoreless innings to earn the win in Wednesday's 11-0 victory against the Mariners. He allowed just one hit and walk apiece, while striking out eight.

This was a vintage Lester performance, and the veteran got all the run support he needed and then some when the Cubs scored six times in the second inning. The lefty now has a stellar 1.73 ERA this season, and his 27:7 K:BB across 26 innings looks like a stat line from earlier in his career when he threw with a bit more velocity. Even if the strikeout rate doesn't stay this good for Lester, the 35-year-old should supply plenty of fantasy value moving forward. Lester's next start is scheduled for Tuesday against an exploitable Marlins team.

Lester (1-1) allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks across five innings in a loss to the Dodgers on Thursday.

The 35-year-old was about as sharp as one could have hoped with him coming back after missing two and a half weeks because a left hamstring issue. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough against the Dodgers pitching staff. Because of the injury, Lester has only made four starts this year, and one was an abbreviated one, but he still has strong numbers. Lester is 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 19 strikeouts in 19 innings this season. His next scheduled start is on the road against the Mariners on Wednesday.

The Cubs activated Lester (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Thursday against the Dodgers.

Lester was sidelined for about two and a half weeks with the left hamstring issue, forcing the Cubs to temporarily get by with Tyler Chatwood as their fifth starter. Though he didn't head out on a rehab assignment prior to being reinstated, Lester completed a simulated game beforehand and isn't expected to face any strict limitations with his pitch count as he returns to the active roster. Prior to getting hurt, Lester had posted a 2.57 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB over 14 innings spanning three starts.

Lester (hamstring) will start Thursday against the Dodgers, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

As expected, Lester has been cleared to rejoin the rotation for Thursday's series finale after completing a simulated game with no issues Saturday. The southpaw has been sidelined since April 8 with a hamstring injury; prior to landing on the shelf, he compiled a 2.57 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB through three starts (14 innings).