Manager Joe Maddon's annual American Legion Week can't last long enough for the Cubs after they embark Tuesday on an ominous stretch of 23 games without a scheduled day off.
"The body never feels the same every day," said reliever Pedro Strop. "Just take the rest when you need it."
The Cubs' Legion Week, in which players are encouraged to arrive to Wrigley Field as late as they want before home games in an effort to get more rest, starts Thursday and will run through their seven-game homestand that concludes Aug. 29. They then embark on their four-city, 10-game odyssey to Atlanta, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Washington.
"I'm more conservative about how much (pregame) work I put in, and I'll try to be careful about that," said Ben Zobrist, 37, who has remained largely injury-free due to a schedule that he and Maddon script as far as a week in advance.
But there's a National League Central title at stake, so Maddon faces the challenge of keeping his players fresh while trying to maintain a lead in the division.
"It's grind time," Kyle Schwarber said.
Here are some factors, however, that might not make the Cubs' journey as daunting as what other teams encountered in the past.
