Lackey tossed one inning in relief Sunday afternoon, giving up one run on two hits and taking the loss. There are signs suggesting that Lackey will retire upon the conclusion of the Cubs' season in the coming weeks, as he'll turn 39 later this month and is coming off a season in which he posted his highest ERA (4.59) since 2011 (6.41).

Lackey has not confirmed this, but Jon Lester, who is Lackey's closest friend in baseball, said as much during the Cubs' celebration Wednesday after clinching the NL Central. "Tonight was probably (Lackey's) last regular-season start. Here's to one hell of a career," Lester said to teammates after Wednesday's game. The veteran righty certainly could find work if he wanted to after this season, but he doesn't really have anything left to prove, so it would make sense if he retired. Lackey has a career 188-146 record, 3.91 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 19.1 percent strikeout rate. It is unclear if he will be a part of the postseason rotation.

The veteran righty's first win in nearly a month was a big one, as the Cubs clinched the NL Central title with the victory. The team has yet to set their postseason rotation, but Lackey could slot in as their No. 4 starter given his 3.68 ERA in the second half.

Lackey failed to complete the fifth inning for the second consecutive start. He was undone by back-to-back home runs off the bats of Stephen Vogt and Brett Phillips in the second inning and needed 77 pitches to get just 12 outs. Lackey's ERA sits at 4.67 and we should expect the Cubs to keep a short leash on him whenever he appears from here on out.