Javier Assad looked to be an intriguing name for the Cubs as winter faded and spring training neared.

He had posted a 3.73 ERA in 147 innings last year, making 29 starts and looked to be a key starter in the Cubs’ rotation. An oblique injury derailed those plans, keeping him out until halfway through this month.

And, just 20 innings into his season, he’s still proving to be an interesting name for the Cubs’ pitching staff. After allowing four runs on eight hits in his first outing of the year, Assad has followed it up with three solid outings, capped by an impressive quality start at hitter-friendly Coors Field in the Cubs’ 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

“To get six-inning starts at this park, job well done for sure,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters in Denver after the win. “I thought Javi was excellent. Kept the ball on the ground.”

Assad had just one strikeout, but 11 of his 18 outs came via groundballs, including two double plays.

“You just keep the same mentality,” Javier Assad told reporters in Spanish after the game. “You try not to think about the stadium. Obviously, you know the ball can fly a bit more here, but just try to keep the same mindset to be aggressive and try to attack hitters.”

Over his last three starts, Assad has posted a 2.81 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 16 innings, serving a vital role for a Cubs rotation that has the best ERA (3.09) in baseball since July 1. Assad has done it while consistently riding the proverbial shuttle between Triple-A Iowa and Chicago.

He was optioned after both his second and third starts of the year as the Cubs sought fresh arms during a long stretch of games without an off day, a span that included a crucial, five-game-in-four-days series against the Milwaukee Brewers. He was brought back on Thursday from Triple-A after Jameson Taillon landed on the 15-day IL.

But that sums up who Assad has been in his major league role. Before 2024, he bounced around between the bullpen and the rotation, all the while posting a sub-4.00 ERA in 147 innings in 2022 and 2023. He’s just a valuable arm that can do Counsell’s favorite thing – get outs.

“I’m happy with the opportunity they give me,” Assad told reporters. “Honestly, ready for whatever role they give me and help the team in whatever role.

“Right now, grateful for the opportunity to be starting and every time I step on the mound, I try to give it my best to help the team win, which is the most important thing and what is necessary.”

For now, that means starting. But Assad’s past, and his last three outings, suggest he could be a key weapon down the stretch for Counsell.

“We’re at the point where you got to earn stuff and you got to put the guys out there that earn it,” Counsell told reporters. “And he’s certainly doing that.”