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Cubs Name Brett Anderson Their No. 4 Starter, Kyle Hendricks No. 5

(CBS) In a surprise, the Cubs will employ the reigning MLB ERA champion as their No. 5 starter.

Chicago will have right-hander Kyle Hendricks pitch its fifth game of the season, the team announced Thursday. The order of the rotation will go Jon Lester-Jake Arrieta-John Lackey-Brett Anderson-Hendricks.

That news also confirmed the expected, that Anderson would win the final rotation spot over left-hander Mike Montgomery, who will come out of the bullpen. The reasoning for putting Anderson ahead of Hendricks is so that the Cubs stagger left-handers Lester and Anderson in the rotation.

Hendricks was 16-8 with an MLB-best 2.13 ERA in 2016, when he finished third in the National League Cy Young voting.

Lester will start Chicago's season opener at St. Louis on April 2, with Arrieta following on April 4 and Lackey on April 5 against the Cardinals. Anderson's first start will come at Milwaukee on April 7, followed the next day by Hendricks.

That puts Arrieta in line to start the Cubs' home opener against the Dodgers on April 10.

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