Righty Scott Effross saw some action this spring, even relieving Jon Lester in a moment that might have had the veteran lefty using the younger pitcher’s name in the direction of his skipper. After spending the first half of 2018 with Double-A Tennessee, the Cubs approached Effross about changing his pitching motion by dropping down to full sidearm from what been more of a low three-quarters angle.
The move paid off and Effross went on to post a 1.71 ERA with 24 strikeouts and just three walks over 26.1 innings between High-A Myrtle Beach, the Arizona Fall League, and spring training.