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Will Ben Zobrist’s likely return to the Cubs next month provide a Hollywood ending to a season that has played out like a long-running soap opera?

No one can answer that question yet, but Zobrist’s first day back at Wrigley Field is certain to get a certified fresh score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

President Theo Epstein revealed Friday that Zobrist will be “attempting to come back” to the Cubs, starting with a rehab stint in the minors to begin sometime around next weekend.

The Cubs have said for weeks that Zobrist was likely to return, but until Epstein made it official Friday, no one really knew for sure.

There was joy in Wrigleyville after the announcement. The 38-year-old Zobrist is one of the most popular players on the Cubs and one of the more integral personalities in the clubhouse. Whether he can find his form at the plate in a month is also unknown, and it shouldn’t be considered a given after his struggles in March and April before departing.

But just knowing he’s on his way is reason enough to be optimistic.

From Joe Ricketts’ racist emails to Addison Russell’s return from a 40-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy to Zobrist’s decision to leave baseball while dealing with a divorce to speculation on Joe Maddon’s uncertain future, this season has been one long Tarantino-esque drama.

If the Cubs had played up to their capabilities on the field, no one would’ve minded a little off-the-field controversy.

But with the team as unpredictable as the wait time for your Uber driver, the Cubs don’t need any more distractions down the stretch.

Zobrist’s departure came on the same day as Russell’s return, so it only makes sense that Russell’s demotion to Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday would coincide with the news of Zobrist’s return. That’s Cubs symmetry.

Epstein said Russell could also return, in spite of some observers’ doubts about his ability to focus in a pennant race.

“We expect him to be back,” Epstein said.

There’s also no guarantee Zobrist will be with the Cubs by Aug. 31 to be eligible for the postseason roster, but the Cubs are counting on it.

“You guys know Zo,” Epstein said. “We have complete and utter trust in Zo the person and Zo the professional.”

But if Zobrist is not playing up to standards, there’s always a chance he could hang it up instead of returning and hurting the team. There’s no reason to believe he can’t get back to his old self, but no one is ageless, not even a guy who rides his bike to work in his uniform.

How will this affect Epstein’s approach to Wednesday’s trade deadline? Should he forget about looking for another bat if Zobrist is on his way?

Epstein said it won’t affect anything. Zobrist still has to have a successful rehab.

“We hope to have great depth and that he’ll be a big part of that,” Epstein said. “But it’s not something we’re going to hang our hat on (and) say our position-player mix is completely settled because Ben is going to attempt to come back for us.”

And of course the Cubs have other issues, including the bullpen, which had a 4.69 ERA in July entering Friday’s game against the Brewers, which ranked 18th in the majors. The Cubs did acquire left-hander Derek Holland on Friday, which is like putting a Band-Aid on a shark bite.

“We’re still looking for upgrades,” Epstein said. “If the right opportunity presents itself, we’d love to get another weapon from the left side.”

Craig Kimbrel has gotten the job done as closer, but another right-handed setup man would be nice, especially if Pedro Strop, who has a 7.27 ERA in July, continues to struggle. His outing Monday in San Francisco, the third blown save in six appearances, was particularly worrisome.

“It reads badly,” Maddon said. “I get it. The optics aren’t good.”

Maddon added, “It wasn’t awful by any means,” while conceding Strop’s velocity was down.

“The answer is no, I’m not overtly concerned,” he said. “You’ll probably see him (being used) earlier. But it’s (Brandon) Kintzler, Strop, (Steve) Cishek. I’m just going to look at where the lineup is falling and try to make my best guess.”

That’s all anyone can expect a manager to do, but with the season and his future in Chicago on the line, Maddon’s best guess better be a good one. Brad Brach also has been ineffective, and Carl Edwards Jr. was deemed unusable after one outing and sent back to Iowa.

Maddon can’t beg for bullpen help, but Epstein surely realizes he can’t win a World Series with only Kintzler and Cishek getting the ball to Kimbrel.

There are five more shopping days until the deadline, and upgrades will be available if the Cubs are willing to give up some youth.

A Hollywood ending remains possible if the Cubs make the right revisions.

Sweetheart, get Theo rewrite.