Assad has made his last four appearances out of the Cubs bullpen, yielding two earned runs on seven hits and no walks while striking out two batters over four innings.
Since making a 4.2-inning spot start against the Marlins on Sept. 5, Assad has shifted back into a relief role. After clinching a wild-card berth Thursday, the Cubs will have little at stake in the regular-season finale Saturday in Boston, so the team could look to get by with a bullpen game that day to keep all of their rotation arms fresh for the playoffs. If Assad isn't needed in Friday's doubleheader, he could end up covering multiple innings as a starter or bulk reliever in Saturday's contest.