Cubs plan ‘hybrid’ rotation involving both Anderson, Montgomery

MESA, Ariz. – The fifth-starter competition this spring for the Cubs might not actually be so much of a job battle as prep work for a job share between left-handers Brett Anderson and Mike Montgomery.

“OK, if I can explain this properly,” manager Joe Maddon said Saturday before Montgomery pitched a scoreless inning in the Cubs’ home spring opener. “Neither one has really been stretched out anywhere close to 200 innings over the last couple of years.

“It’s almost like a hybrid moment,” he added, “maybe fold one back into the bullpen for a bit while the other one starts and vice-versa. Or just jump the sixth guy in there now and then to keep the other guys from being overworked too early while you’re still giving these guys some work.

“It’s theory right now. We haven’t actually laid it down on paper.”

Anderson, signed over the winter as a free agent, pitched 180 1/3 innings in 2015 but injuries limited him to only 11 1/3 last year – and 35, 44 2/3 and 43 1/3 from 2012-14. Montgomery, acquired in a July trade from Seattle, pitched 100 last year, spending much of his first full year in the big leagues in the bullpen.

“We like them both,” Maddon said. “How do we keep them both active and helping us? That’s going to be our challenge early and through the beginning part of the season.”

Montgomery struck out two and walked two during his spring debut. Anderson starts Monday against the White Sox in his first spring game.

“We feel pretty fortunate,” Maddon said. If everybody stays healthy, you’ve got six guys that you like right there. It’s hard for anybody to say that.”