Marcus Stroman to Start Thursday, David Robertson Activated Wednesday

The Cubs will activate Marcus Stroman to start Thursday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks, 18 days after his last start. The righty had just been finding his groove after a solid performance against the Braves and then a two-hit gem against the Brewers, but a trip to the COVID IL halted his momentum. As long as he can maintain a comfort level with his mechanics, he should be fine.

The bullpen gets a boost Wednesday as closer David Robertson has been activated from the COVID list and will be available against the Pirates in the series finale. In order to make room on the roster, Mark Leiter Jr. was optioned to Triple-A Iowa.