On My Way to Chicago and Other Bullets

chicago featureI’m headed back to Chicago later today, so I can take in Cubs/Yanks tomorrow afternoon (in the right field bleachers – come say hey), and then head out to see the Kane County Cougars on Thursday night (from behind home plate-ish). If folks are going to be around tomorrow for the Yankees game, let me know if the comments, and we can get together before and/or after the game.

  • Cubs pitching prospect Jen-Ho Tseng, who has climbed the ranks and become, probably, the Cubs’ third best pitching prospect behind C.J. Edwards and Pierce Johnson, has been placed on the disabled list at Kane County with “an upper extremity injury.” That’s is a strangely opaque way to describe an injury (if you’re going to describe it at all, go ahead and describe it – otherwise, just say he’s on the DL), but John Arguello says it’s a sore shoulder, and implies that it’s not necessarily serious.
  • Not that the Cubs are being unfairly targeted in this regard, but they’ve had a serious run of pitcher injuries this year, with all of Edwards, Johnson, Tseng, Ivan Pineyro, and Rob Zastryzny, among others, dealing with various ailments.
  • Kyle Hendricks, at least, has remained healthy, and he actually just took down the PCL’s pitcher of the week honors. His numbers so far this year at AAA, through eight starts, are fantastic: 3.06 ERA, 1.70(!) FIP, 9.7(!) K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 4.91 K/BB. It’s early, but, man, this guy just keeps outperforming the scouting reports by a country mile.
  • Justin Ruggiano is currently at AAA Iowa on a rehab assignment, so he could be within a week of returning to the big league club.
  • Projections say the Cubs will continue to be bad the rest of this year, unless you base those projections on how they’ve actually performed so far this year (as opposed to how we think they should have performed). In the latter case, as explained by Jeff Sullivan, the Cubs look like a borderline .500 team the rest of the way. That’s unsurprising when you consider that the Cubs, sporting the worst record in baseball, have a run differential of just -3. That’s better than teams like the Pirates, the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Orioles, the White Sox (I could go on), and tied with the Reds and Dodgers. But, as we know, the Cubs always seem to do this.
  • Alfonso Soriano returns to Wrigley today to face his former team, and, as you might expect, it’s bittersweet. (Sun-Times)
  • A profile on the ivy at Wrigley Field.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

    For the second straight night, the Cubs are jumping all over the Astros in the first inning. After a couple hits from Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to get things going, Michael Busch hit a sac fly, Christopher Morel walked,...

    Welcome Back to Iowa, Brennen Davis: Rocket Homer in His First Game Post-Rehab

    What a road it's been - continues to be - for Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis. The former top prospect was on a rocket ship to Triple-A in 2021, and then mostly lost the last two years to various injuries....

    CRAAAAAP: Cody Bellinger to the Injured List (UPDATES)

    So much for all those words of optimism and negative X-rays. After colliding with the outfield wall last night, Cody Bellinger fractured his rib (Update: It's actually TWO fractured right ribs) and will hit the injured list today. Chicago Cubs...

    Chicago Cubs Lineup: What is it, June 2023?

    CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs took Game 1 against the Houston Astros in convincing fashion last night. So tonight, they'll go for the quick series win against Spencer Arrighetti at Wrigley Field (it'd be a good idea to win...

    Bellinger Optimistic Post-Injury, Busch’s Defense, Almonte Stock Rising, Tauchman Slugging, and Other Cubs Bullets

    Ed. Note: Since this article was published, a CT scan revealed a rib fracture for Cody Bellinger, who is now on the Injured List. You can find all the details of that news in our most recent article right here....

    Cubs Outfield Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong Coming Up

    With Cody Bellinger headed to the Injured List with a rib fracture, the Cubs are in need of another outfielder: center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is coming back up to the big leagues for the second time. https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1783217891195625709 Crow-Armstrong, 22,...

    Is Mike Tauchman the Best Player in Baseball? An Exploration

    Hey, we're just having some early-season fun. So allow me to present the 'Mike Tauchman Is Clearly Better Than' list. As of this moment, Mike Tauchman has ... ... a higher wRC+ (151) than Pete Alonso, Fernando Tatis Jr., and...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 24, 2024: Kevin Alcántara Cannot Miss Right Now

    Name a player hotter than Kevin Alcántara right now. Go ahead, I'll wait. (He's already raking again today. Literally as I type this.) More on Alcántara's big day and the Smokies home run parade last night in today's Cubs Farm...

    Oof: Blake Snell to the Injured List Just Three Horrible Starts into His Giants Career

    Just three starts into his San Francisco Giants career, Blake Snell is heading to the injured list with a left-adductor strain. Oof. You hate to even say it — and who really knows if this was related — but early...

    It’s Gotten Impossible to Not Comment on the White Sox Making Futility History

    In 1997, I was a miserable Chicago Cubs fan. I mean, that was true a lot of the time, but I mean it in a very specific way that year: the Cubs had started the season 0-14. They had literally...

    Latest News

    2024 Las Vegas Raiders Big Board: Potential First-Round Fits Including Tackle & Cornerback

    The desert heat is rising in Las Vegas, and so are the expectations for the Raiders. The 2024 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and the Silver and Black hold the 13th overall pick. Will they prioritize shoring up the offensive...

    How to Watch Twins vs. White Sox: Live Stream or on TV

    Bailey Ober takes the ball for the Minnesota Twins (9-13) when they host starter Mike Soroka and the Chicago White Sox (3-20) at 1:10 PM ET on Thursday.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know to...

    Astros vs. Cubs: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    On Thursday, going for a series sweep, Michael Busch and the Chicago Cubs (14-9) play the Houston Astros (7-17), with first pitch scheduled for 2:20 PM ET at Wrigley Field.The article below will give you everything you need to watch...

    Royals vs. Blue Jays: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Salvador Perez and the Kansas City Royals (14-10) host Daulton Varsho and the Toronto Blue Jays (13-11) on Thursday in a rubber match, with first pitch at 2:10 PM ET.See how to watch the Kansas City-Toronto matchup below.When is Royals...

    Yankees vs. Athletics: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    Juan Soto and the New York Yankees (16-8) host Abraham Toro and the Oakland Athletics (9-15) on Thursday in a rubber match, with first pitch at 7:05 PM ET.The article below will give you everything you need to watch New...

    Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

    For the second straight night, the Cubs are jumping all over the Astros in the first inning. After a couple hits from Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to get things going, Michael Busch hit a sac fly, Christopher Morel walked,...

    Phillies vs. Reds: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Philadelphia Phillies (15-9), led by Alec Bohm, visit Elly De La Cruz and the Cincinnati Reds (13-10) at 1:10 PM ET on Thursday in the rubber match of the series.The article below will provide you with everything you need...

    How to Watch Brewers vs. Pirates: Live Stream or on TV

    The Milwaukee Brewers (14-8), with Freddy Peralta on the mound, visit the Pittsburgh Pirates (13-11) who will hand the ball to Mitch Keller, at 12:35 PM ET on Thursday.Keep reading to find out all the details on how to watch...

    How to Watch Dodgers vs. Nationals: Live Stream or on TV

    Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers (14-11) visit the Washington Nationals (10-12) on Thursday, with first pitch at 4:05 PM ET, and the Dodgers looking for a series sweep.The article below will give you everything you need to know...

    Magic vs. Cavaliers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Cleveland Cavaliers are slight 1.5-point underdogs for Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center on Thursday, tipping off at 7:00 PM ET on NBA. The Cavaliers have a 2-0...

    more cubs news