'A lot of familiarity': Lucroy in on fun with Cubs

CINCINNATI -- Walking into a new clubhouse deep into a season can put a catcher in a daunting position. As Jonathan Lucroy looked around the visitors' locker room at Great American Ball Park on Thursday, Chicago's new catcher said he did not feel his transition would be as difficult.

Lucroy began rattling off the names of the pitchers he has already caught in the past.

Brandon Kintzler with the Brewers. Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish and Derek Holland with the Rangers. Tyler Chatwood with the Rockies. Craig Kimbrel and Steve Cishek with Team USA.

"There's a lot of familiarity," Lucroy said prior to Thursday's 12-5 win over the Reds -- during which he made his Cubs debut, starting behind the plate and batting eighth. "So, I'm definitely looking forward to contributing and being part of it. Being able to step in and not having to worry about learning guys on the fly, but actually being able to be comfortable with them and getting in there, it's pretty nice."

Lucroy singled in his first at-bat and added an RBI double and RBI single to enjoy a three-hit night.

The news that broke on Wednesday night was made official on Thursday: the Cubs signed Lucroy to a Major League contract and optioned catcher Taylor Davis back to Triple-A Iowa. The move comes after Chicago dealt veteran Martin Maldonado to the Astros on July 31 and then lost All-Star catcher Willson Contreras to a strained right hamstring on Saturday.

With Contreras expected to be out for at least a month, the Cubs signed the 33-year-old Lucroy for a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum, following the catcher being designated for assignment and then released by the Angels. With Chicago, Lucroy will split the innings behind the plate with Victor Caratini, who is in the midst of a standout season both offensively and defensively.

"Victor's been doing well. There's no reason to run away from Victor right now," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I'm just trying to figure it out. I think if we do it right, we'll keep them both in good shape, look at the matchups as you feel good about it. The big thing is for us to watch Jonathan right now and see where he's at."

Maddon was referring to the fact that Lucroy is only recently back from a concussion, which he sustained in a collision with Houston's Jake Marisnick on July 7. The catcher said he felt normal four or five days after the setback, adding that he has been symptom-free for about a month. Lucroy appeared in two Minor League games (July 27 and July 30) before playing one last game for the Angels (July 31).

"In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that severe," Lucroy said. "I know it looked pretty terrible, but the symptoms weren't bad at all. So actually, I was very fortunate."

And Lucroy said he now feels fortunate to walk into the Cubs' clubhouse.

"I've been traded twice, and it's been the same thing," he said. "You go from being in last place or close to the bottom to being in first place. And this is my third time doing it. First two times on a trade. This one's on a DFA. Any way you can get here works. Like I said, I'm very honored and happy to be here."

Worth noting

• Ian Happ started at second base on Wednesday for the first time since Sept. 19, 2017, and he was back in the lineup at the position for Thursday's game against the Reds. Maddon, who has used seven second basemen this season, wants to keep giving Happ a look at second given his recent offensive performance.

"Let Happy go play," Maddon said. "Let's see how this plays out, too. He's had a nice little run. Let's see if it continues."

• Veteran utility man Ben Zobrist, who is currently on MLB's restricted list, was scheduled to resume his Minor League assignment on Thursday with Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach. Zobrist was slated to serve as the designated hitter in the latest step in his comeback bid with the Cubs.

• Maddon said that both closer Craig Kimbrel (10-day injured list, right knee) and reliever Kintzler (10-day IL, right pectoral inflammation) are progressing well. Kimbrel did not travel to Cincinnati, opting instead to stay in Chicago to focus on his rehab.