Cub Tracks Turns A Corner

Here's the latest from around the web:

From Comcast SportsNet Chicago:

• It wasn't a great outing on Friday, but Jon Lester is turning a corner.
• Joe Maddon spoke about the recent outburst by Reds manager Bryan Price, saying that "it could happen to any one of us."
• Maddon also does not think that pitchers are deliberately targeting Anthony Rizzo.
• Javier Baez is coming back from his leave of absence. He'll spend some time initially at the team complex in Arizona before heading back to Iowa.
• Patrick Mooney writes that Kris Bryant embraces the hype while living up to the big expectations.
• Could Bryant handle center field for an extended period, if need be? His answer: "Yeah, why not?"
• The amount of fanfare that surrounded Bryant's call-up was "a whole different planet" from anything else that Chris Coghlan had ever seen when Giancarlo Stanton made his debut with the Marlins.
• [VIDEO] Danny Ecker from Crain's Chicago Business joined the SportsNet Central team to discuss the impact on ticket sales that could come from the call-ups of Bryant and Addison Russell.

From Cubs.com:

• With his 1.035 OPS despite hitting a homer, Anthony Castrovince says that Kris Bryant is far more than the home-run hitter that he's expected to be.
• Joe Maddon wants to see the starting rotation pitch deeper into the game. What, five innings and change isn't cutting it?
• Maddon also appreciates the players answering the "All hands on deck" call when it comes to playing different positions.
• Jon Lester is not worried about his slow start in April, noting that he's usually not a fast starter.
• [VIDEO] Anthony Rizzo rode around the streets of New York with Gemma Kaneko from Cut4 answering rapid-fire questions including his favorite type of pizza and his preferred superpower.

From ESPN Chicago:

• Jesse Rogers writes that with the way the Cubs have been winning games, the season can't feel like much of a grind right now.
• He also says that the real Jon Lester is starting to appear after Friday night's performance.
• Anthony Rizzo doesn't like getting hit by pitches, but if it gets him on base he'll take the pain.
• It's time for Five Questions with... Addison Russell!
• [VIDEO] There's a Kris Bryant baseball card that's already worth in the ballpark of $50,000. And my 1989 Topps, Fleer, and Donruss cards still aren't worth the cardboard they're printed on.

From CBS Chicago:

• Julie DiCaro looks at five things that the Cubs are doing better this season.

From the Chicago Tribune:

• Scott Boras doesn't want to rekindle the Kris Bryant debate now that he's with the big club, but he does believe that changes in the collective bargaining agreement are necessary.
• As for Bryant himself, he just wants to see both sides get on the same page and figure everything out.
• Mark Gonzales pulls a few questions out of the Cubs' Mailbag.
• [VIDEO] Jon Lester talks about adjusting to pitching in the National League.
• [VIDEO] Jonathan Herrera talks about his role as a reserve for the Cubs.
• [VIDEO] Joe Maddon talks about close games and Jon Lester.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

• With his outing on Friday, Jon Lester found a semblance of his groove. And because it's Gordon Wittenmyer who wrote it, it's actually his "big-money groove."

From Cubs Den:

• Alex Walsh looks at the early returns from Cubs' plate appearances and analyzes some interesting strikeout rates.

From Bleacher Nation:

• Which Chris Coghlan are the Cubs going to get this season?
• Brett Taylor looks at the great start to the season so far for Starlin Castro.

From Chicago Cubs Online:

• The next homestand will feature a few celebrations of Wrigley Field's football history.
• The opening of the international free agent market is getting closer and the Cubs are believed to have agreements with a number of players already.
• Breaking News: The tampering investigation is: Still. Not. Over. But it's getting closer!

From Cubs Insider:

• Evan Altman looks at the early returns from the Cubs' pitchers hitting eighth.
• It may have been a rough night at the plate Friday for Addison Russell, but the glove still definitely plays.
• The Cubs are doing extremely well at getting on base via a mixture of patience, power and contact.

Miscellaneous:

• Former Cub Mark Grace considers himself to be a very lucky man to still have a role in the major leagues.
• Just how good is Kris Bryant? FanGraphs takes a look at what he's done so far.

Today's food for thought: