Cubs manager David Ross wanted to see how starting pitcher Keegan Thompson competed and handled big situations.
All things considered, Ross probably liked what he got Saturday from the 26-year-old righty.
Making his first start after being stretched out at Triple-A Iowa, Thompson went four innings and allowed two runs in the Cubs’ 4-2 loss to the Royals. Like lefty Justin Steele before him, Thompson is shifting from a bullpen role and is a candidate for a spot in the 2022 rotation who has an opportunity to show his stuff over the last weeks of an otherwise lost year for the Cubs.