The Cubs have activated Ben Zobrist from the restricted list to help with their postseason push.

Zobrist, 38, has been out since May 8 while going through a divorce. The 2016 World Series MVP is batting .241 with 10 RBIs in 26 games this year.

The Cubs know not to take any chances when first baseman Anthony Rizzo alerts the team that his back is flaring. 

In the fifth inning at Wrigley Field, Rizzo left due to mid-back tightness and was replaced by pinch-hitter Jonathan Lucroy, who delivered an RBI double against Nationals starter Joe Ross. 

Joe Maddon is very confident he'll return as manager of the Chicago Cubs next season.

Maddon, 65, is in the final year of a five-year deal with the team.

The Cubs won't decide his fate until after the season.

"I'm operating like we'll be together for a couple more years, at least," Maddon said. "I'm not going to sit and proclaim I'm looking to go elsewhere. That's not true."

He doesn't think the decision will come down to just wins and losses.

"I really don't think it does, at all," Maddon said. "It has nothing to do with wins and losses. If that's the case, I would have signed a contract at the end of last season. Our success is pretty good. You can't just reduce it to wins and losses. That makes no sense at all."

The Chicago Cubs hold a pair of $16.5 million options on Anthony Rizzo's contract for the next two seasons.

The club options were included in the original seven-year, $41 million deal Rizzo signed during his first full Major League season.

Rizzo would like another multiyear deal, but doesn't feel urgency to negotiate with the Cubs.

"I could. I don't have to. I'm set, financially," he said. "I do want to stay here. I do want to be a Cub.

"But this is a business, and it's as cutthroat as ever, right now especially. All sports, not just baseball."

The free agent market has moved slowly in each of the past two winters.

"It's not like we don't have a good relationship to talk and engage and see where we're at," Rizzo said. "We've spoken before a little bit, kind of picked each other's brains here and there. But there's not much urgency to get it done. Would I like to? Of course. Who wouldn't?

"But winning cures all of that. Let's figure out ways to win, keep building on this [division] lead and have a good road trip."

The Chicago Cubs are signing Jonathan Lucroy.

Lucroy was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels last Friday. He cleared waivers and was unconditionally released on Wednesday.

Lucroy will share catching duties with Victor Caratini while Willson Contreras recovers from a right hamstring strain.

"Victor has done well and this doesn't put Victor on the shelf," Joe Maddon said. "They'll both play. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do that."

Jon Lester was highly critical of himself after allowing 10 earned runs against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday.

The left-hander called himself the "weakest link" in the Chicago Cubs' rotation.

"I feel like they had a better plan than I did," Lester said of the Oakland Athletics hitters. "Plain and simple. They executed their plan and before we could make the adjustment there's eight runs up there."

The A's sent 12 batters to the plate during an eight-run second inning, then plated three more in the fourth on a Stephen Piscotty home run.

"What happened is I gave up 11 runs, so it doesn't matter how I feel," Lester said. "Doesn't matter about a game plan, doesn't matter about executing pitches, doesn't matter about anything. I gave up 11 runs, so it really doesn't matter."

The Chicago Cubs have placed Craig Kimbrel on the injured list with right knee inflammation.

Kimbrel said he could still pitch if it were the playoffs and that he can still play catch and remain in rhythm.

If you remove the reliever's first three appearances with the Cubs, Kimbrel has a 2.70 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 10 innings and eight saves in nine chances.

With under two months left in the regular season, Chicago Cubs reliever Brandon Morrow is still hopeful he can contribute to his team's playoff push as he continues his long recovery from elbow and forearm issues.

Morrow, 35, hasn't pitched in the big leagues since before last year's All-Star break, experiencing several starts and stops in his rehab process.

Cubs veteran Ben Zobrist is finally returning to baseball after leaving the team for personal reasons in May.

Zobrist, 38, will join Class-A South Bend on Friday, beginning a month-long rehab process before returning to the big league team.

"The plan is for him to play rehab games on and off for the month of August," Cubs president Theo Epstein said Friday morning. "I don't think he'll play straight through. He's going to take some time off in between these stints to continue to get his body in shape and continue to practice. He's not going to come back as an everyday player, anyway, so it makes sense to get him ready this way."