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Cubs' Joe Maddon Will Dial Back On Asking Aroldis Chapman To Get 4-Out Saves

(CBS) Twice in the first week after the Cubs acquired new closer Aroldis Chapman, manager Joe Maddon asked him to take the mound to record a four-out save.

The first time, Chapman mowed four batters down in dominant fashion. The second time, he was touched up for a game-changing two-run double in an eventual Chicago loss.

From the sounds of it, Maddon won't be asking Chapman to throw more than an inning much more in the regular season. Chapman has a 2.06 ERA and 0.83 WHIP this season with 50 strikeouts in 35 innings.

"I have to be aware of that moving forward and again, not to beat him up," Maddon said on the Spiegel and Goff Show on Tuesday. "I had a really good conversation with him. We're definitely on the same page. We're communicating every day.

"There's motivation among the group before him now. Because I think they want to get it to him with only three outs also. I think it's going to be wise to only keep it at three (outs) unless it really comes to the point where he's well-rested and the other guys are not, and then we'll kick him in there.

"Moving forward, I'll try to keep it at three (outs), but there still may be times when you see four."

In the interview, Maddon also confirmed that newly acquired reliever Joe Smith will join the Cubs for Tuesday evening's home game against the Marlins, while fellow reliever Spencer Patton will be sent down.

"It normally takes about a month to figure out your bullpen, getting different guys in different spots, just getting them comfortable with what they're doing," Maddon said. "We're going to have to accelerate that learning curve a bit with some other new dudes out there, but I'm really excited about it."

Listen to Maddon's full interview below. He delves into what Smith brings to the Cubs and Jason Heyward's all-around play while he continues to struggle with the bat, among other topics.

Joe Maddon on the Spiegel and Goff Show

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