Aug. 08--Miguel Montero returns to the Cubs' lineup today with Kyle Schwarber in left and the Addison Russell-Chris Coghlan combo at short and second.
Joe Maddon's maneuvering is going to be one of the key stories down the stretch, after benching Starlin Castro on Friday.
Of course, Maddon's willingness to go against the grain is why the Cubs hired him in the first place.
"It's a huge asset to have someone like Joe because he's not restricted by convention or by fear of how somebody might react to something," president Theo Epstein said. "He's not afraid of how the media would react, he's not afraid of how we would react, he's not afraid of how the players would react."
Castro's benching will be felt across the clubhouse because despite his struggles he remains one of the more popular players with his teammates. How he reacts to the new reality will be closely scrutinized, and if the past is any indication, he'll handle it well.
Either way, Maddon is going to do what he feels is right, asking the players to put their egos aside for a chance to do something special. Epstein gives him that freedom, and Maddon runs with it.
"It frees him up to see the game, to feel the game, and make the right moves preemptively if it's appropriate," Epstein said. "It's always great because... when you run into situations where you're not making the right strategic move because of other reasons, it doesn't feel good in the middle of a pennant race.
"And Joe, he's always going to do the thing that in his mind puts us in the best position to win. It's a good feeling."
