BOSTON -- Javier Baez was uncharacteristically out of position and missed a grounder on Friday night, and he also hasn't been as consistent at the plate, but Joe Maddon isn't worried. He's quick to point out Baez is young, as are the majority of the Cubs' hitters, and they will go through phases.

"He was frustrated on that," Maddon said of Baez's rare miss, "but then he makes a great play on a bouncer over the mound. He's fine. The biggest thing for me, is I'd like to get him back to where he had been offensively and more in control of his strike zone."

Baez had a good spring, and Maddon said the infielder, who was the co-MVP in the National League Championship Series last year, may simply be trying too hard now.

"It's a cyclical kind of year, always," Maddon said. "I'm aware of that. I don't have any solid explanation, but when guys aren't hitting well, they're normally swinging at what they shouldn't be, and that's what he's doing now."

And they're also young.

"I tried to remind everybody about that last year," Maddon said of the Cubs' youth. "Even when everything was going perfectly for all of them, I was impressed with our inexperience as much -- not just being young. I guess youth and inexperience are synonymous terms.

"Even coming off a World Series victory, each year is different. They'll show their goods. Nobody expects anybody to struggle after they've done what we did last year. I do. I expect to struggle. They're all going to be fine."

• Speaking of young players, this Interleague series between the Cubs and Red Sox is showcasing some solid talent who have bright futures, Maddon said.

"It'd be nice to eventually end up in the last seven games of the year between these two teams," Maddon said.

Does it have to be a stressful seven?

"I've been involved in seven how many times? Angels in 2002 [World Series], then seven games against [the Red Sox] in the [American League Championship Series], then seven last year [in the World Series]," he said. "It's crazy, it's exhilarating and of course, you want to come out on top. It's always good for the sport."

• When Theo Epstein first joined the Cubs prior to the 2012 season, he had an empty picture frame on his desk. He was using that as a little motivation. Someday, he'd put a photo from the Cubs winning the World Series in that frame.

Well, now that the Cubs did win last year, has the frame been filled? Epstein, president of baseball operations for the Cubs, said it's being taken care of.

"It's a photo from Cleveland of us all celebrating on the mound together," he said.

Will he have another empty frame on his desk now to motivate him for another World Series championship?

"I think I probably should, right?" Epstein said.

• Jonathan Jay had played once before at Fenway Park, doing so in 2013 with the Cardinals during the World Series. He started in left field on Saturday and will have to deal with the Green Monster.

"The biggest thing in [batting practice] is going out and shagging and learning how the ball comes off there," Jay said. "There's a lot of different possibilities."

Maddon has been impressed by how veterans Jay and Miguel Montero have accepted part-time roles.

"They're going to play a lot during the course of the year," Maddon said. "It's always early that the acceptance seems more difficult. ... I've been trying to get them both involved. Acceptance is really big, because it also leads to better performance. They've been both outstanding. I love putting them in the lineup."

Carrie Muskat has covered the Cubs since 1987, and for MLB.com since 2001. She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings. You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat and listen to her podcast.