It could give the Cubs every bit as big of a jolt as the arrival of veteran hitter Ben Zobrist. It might even do as much to improve their playoff chances as a return to the lineup by All-Star catcher Willson Contreras.
We are talking about seeing another glimpse of — if it comes, and that’s a mighty big “if” — Peak Pedro.
It has been by far the roughest of Pedro Strop’s seven seasons with the Cubs, but he’s keeping hope alive. The Dominican right-hander — a Cub for longer than anyone other than first baseman Anthony Rizzo — has a 2019 stat line that would make a cup-of-coffee reliever blush, but he has a feeling that’s about to change.