CHICAGO _ John Lackey's dominant pitching performance and the return of power to Willson Contreras and Kris Bryant fueled more talk Tuesday night of postseason plans for the Cubs.
But before the Cubs actually clinch a playoff berth, they will need to upgrade their depth given the uncertainty surrounding left-handed hitting infielder Tommy La Stella.
Before the Cubs coasted to a 5-1 victory over the Angels for their eighth consecutive victory, general manager Jed Hoyer acknowledged the probable need for a left-handed hitter while La Stella assesses his future.
"We have to think through things from an organization standpoint," Hoyer said.
La Stella has been placed on the temporarily inactive list after deciding not to report to Triple-A Iowa. He was optioned July 29 to make room for left-handed hitting outfielder Chris Coghlan.
"Having really good left-handed bats and potentially left-handed bats off the bench is very important for us," Hoyer said. "As we look at things, we love our depth right now, and that may not necessitate a move. But certainly we have to look for left-handed bats to make sure we're prepared for a good right-handed reliever late in the season."
The Cubs _ from President Theo Epstein to manager Joe Maddon to sports psychologist Ken Ravizza to teammate Matt Szczur _ have remained in contact with La Stella, who is working out at his New Jersey home while pondering his future.
La Stella declined to elaborate in a text message Tuesday, 10 days after writing that "all is well. I'm doing great."
The Cubs want La Stella, who was batting .295 in 105 at-bats, to return to the organization and get some at-bats at Iowa. Hoyer said he wasn't disappointed in La Stella.
"Hopefully we'll have a resolution sooner rather than later, but we're just trying to give him time," Hoyer said. "I would say it's somewhat deeper than a level of frustration. But he's healthy. It's not a family issue or anything like that."
La Stella played in only 33 games last season for the Cubs because of injuries. But La Stella was 6-for-14 as a pinch-hitter, and the Cubs thought so highly of him that he started at third base in the National League wild-card game against the Pirates and hard-throwing right-hander Gerrit Cole.
This season, La Stella is batting .301 in 93 at-bats against right-handers and has improved his defense at third base after joining the Cubs before the 2015 season as solely a second baseman.
Maddon believes Cubs players would accept La Stella with open arms should he return.
"They know he might get a big double in a playoff game, too," Maddon said. "We're all aware of his abilities. It's what's good and what's right for Tommy right now."
Right fielder Jason Heyward also checked in with La Stella.
"Somebody has to be at peace with what they're doing," Heyward said. "Whatever decision you're making, you have to be at peace with it. That's the bottom line.
"I personally just asked him, 'Are you content and happy with the move you're going to make,' and he said, 'Yeah.' He has thought about it, and that's it."
