Lynch (4-3) took the loss Friday against the Cubs, giving up four runs on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks over 1.2 innings.
The left-hander was making his first start of the season after pitching well out of the bullpen across the first four months of 2026. A brief outing was expected given the role change, but Lynch's early exit Friday was also the result of ineffectiveness, as Chicago forced him from the contest during a four-run second inning. The performance ended an 11-appearance scoreless streak and the four runs allowed are the most he's allowed in an outing all season. Lynch still has a 2.64 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 37:14 K:BB across 47.2 innings this year, but it'll take some time for him to build up to a full starter's workload after he threw 35 pitches Friday.