Former Chicago Cubs ace Jon Lester is returning to Wrigley Field for the first time as a member of the Washington Nationals. Lester spent six seasons with the Cubs, helping them win their first World Series in 108 years in 2016.
Cubs manager David Ross is a longtime pal of Lester, acting as his personal catcher with the Boston Red Sox and then making the trek with him to Chicago. Ross retired as a player after the 2016 season and then took over for Joe Maddon as manager in 2020.
Needless to say, it's going to be weird for Ross to face Lester as an opponent:
"It's extremely awkward," Cubs manager David Ross said with a laugh, on game-planning to face Jon Lester.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) May 17, 2021
Ross and Lester were on the same side for so long and won two World Series together, and now they're going to be in opposite dugouts. That will certainly make for some angst and weirdness, even though one is now a manager and the other is still a player.
Ross and the Cubs still find a way to honor Lester even though he's no longer around:
David Ross on how Jon Lester's presence still remains in the Cubs' clubhouse: "Well we got a couple Miller Lites floating around. We definitely keep those in the fridge in honor of Jon."
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) May 17, 2021
Lester is off to a solid start this season after missing time due to COVID-19. He also needed surgery to remove his thyroid gland during Spring Training. In three starts, he has an ERA of 2.25 in 16 innings pitched.
The Cubs chose not to bring Lester back for this season after he struggled the last two years, and especially in the weird 2020 campaign. He posted an ERA of 5.16 and gave up 11 home runs in just 61 innings of work. The 37-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Nationals this past offseason.
Another former Cub, Kyle Schwarber, also signed in the nation's capital in the offseason. It's going to be an emotional night at Wrigley Field as two World Series heroes return to Chicago.
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