Maddon not worried about worn Wrigley grass

The outfield grass at Wrigley Field is pretty chewed up, thanks to four recent concerts.

But Cubs manager Joe Maddon says the bare spots and trampled grass haven't presented any safety concerns for his players, and new sod is supposed to be in by the next homestand.

"No concerns about safety, just a little bit quicker," Maddon said Tuesday of how the field plays. "With the grass being trampled down a bit, it's a little bit quicker. But nobody came in and complained about anything after the game (Monday).

"We didn't take any pregame (practice). We took our (team) photograph out there. We could see while we were walking out there that it was different, but nobody came in and complained about any of that. I didn't see any bad bounces, either."

Right fielder Jason Heyward took a diplomatic tack when asked about the condition of the field.

"Like it was the condition of the field after a concert," he said. "That's how I found it. All I know is there's not very much I can do about it. It was what it was. We handled it how we had to handle it."

Of course, a new field could present its own challenges if the sod isn't settled.

"And I'll be dealing with that when I get back," Heyward said. "It is what it is. You just show up and play and make the best of everything and adjust to that. We're playing outside."

New pitching plans:

The Cubs have juggled their starting rotation, and they could get injured pitcher John Lackey back by Sunday.

Jason Hammel and Mike Montgomery have been flip-flopped, with Hammel moving from Thursday's start against the Giants to Wednesday night's series finale against the Pirates. Montgomery moves from Wednesday to Thursday.

Hammel threw just 39 pitches in last Saturday's short start at Los Angeles. Montgomery, who came out of the bullpen to join the rotation, saw his pitch count jump to 91 in last Friday's start at L.A.

"It just made all the sense in the world to do it that way so we are," Joe Maddon said.

Jon Lester will start Friday against the Giants at Wrigley Field, with Jake Arrieta going Saturday.

Lackey, who is on the disabled list with a strained right shoulder, threw a bullpen session this week, and the Cubs said it went well. He'll throw another session Thursday, and if that also goes well, he'll come off the DL Sunday.

About Monday night:

Monday night's 8-7, 13-inning victory over the Pirates took 5 hours and 3 minutes to play, spilling into Tuesday morning. The Cubs were fresh off a trip home from Los Angeles.

"We got in late (Sunday) night," Joe Maddon said after the game. "I got back to the room about 3 a.m., so these guys are coming off West Coast to the Central time zone. They're tired. We had to show up early for a (team) picture, which happens sometimes. And they came out and played until midnight. Of course, you want to win that game. That's a tough game to lose. Understand that the effort that you saw based on a lot of fatigue. And that's probably what I'm most proud of."

The Cubs wore onesie pajamas home on the plane ride.

"Look at how they all played tonight; it must have been the onesies," Maddon said. "If you're flying on a charter airplane and you have onesies on, you got to feel better the next day, even if you're a little bit late."