Patrick Gorski - USA Today Sports
Patrick Gorski - USA Today Sports

Cubs place Jon Lester on injured list, recall lefty reliever


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CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today placed left-handed pitcher Jon Lester on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 9) with a left hamstring strain and recalled left-handed pitcher Tim Collins from Triple-A Iowa. Collins will be available for the Cubs tonight when they continue their three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.

Collins, 29, signed a major league contract with the Cubs last month and has made three relief outings with Iowa this year, posting no record and a 3.38 ERA (1 ER/2.2 IP). He is 12-17 with 48 holds and a 3.62 ERA (94 ER/233.2 IP) in 266 major league relief appearances with Kansas City (2011-14) and Washington (2018). Collins has limited foes to a .230 batting average, including a .224 mark vs. left-handed hitters and a .235 mark vs. righties. He has struck out 241 batters in 233.2 innings pitched.

The southpaw returned to the big leagues last year with Washington after not pitching in the majors since 2014 due to a pair of Tommy John surgeries in 2015 and 2016. In his return with the Nationals last year, Collins posted no record with four holds and a 4.37 ERA (11 ER/22.2 IP) in 38 relief outings. He also made 30 relief appearances with Triple-A Syracuse, going 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA (14 ER/32.0 IP).

A native of Worcester, Mass., Collins originally signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as a non-drafted free agent on July 20, 2007.

Lester, 35, is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA (4 ER/14.0 IP) in three starts with the Cubs this season.

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