The Chicago Cubs begin a three-game set against the Reds tonight at Wrigley Field. And boy, oh, boy, does Joe Maddon have a fun lineup waiting for you.
Check it out:
- Kyle Schwarber, LF
- Kris Bryant, RF
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Ian Happ, CF
- Jeimer Candelario, 3B
- Addison Russell, SS
- Willson Contreras, C
- John Lackey, P
- Javy Baez, 2B
Wow. Well, where do I begin?
Kris Bryant is back in the starting lineup after taking the weekend off with an illness, but instead of returning to third base, he heads out to right field. Which normally isn’t the worst thing in the world – Bryant’s a capable defender – but he hasn’t been out there in a while and … did you notice who’s in center?
Yep, Ian Happ must’ve impressed Joe Maddon with his two innings in center field on Sunday, because he’s back out there again, only this time from the start of the game. Before you get excited, no, center is not something that’ll be in Happ’s long-term future (remember, even Kris Bryant had a few starts there over the years), but it’s this sort of versatility that makes me believe Joe Maddon is very much interested in keeping him around (again, in the long-term, that is).
Anyway, with Schwarber in left field, the Cubs’ outfield defense is … not looking it’s strongest tonight. Hopefully, John Lackey can keep the ball on the ground.
Other than that, Jeimer Candelario gets another start at third base, batting fifth, while Willson Contreras completes the battery and bats seventh.
The average age of the Cubs lineup tonight (minus John Lackey) is just 24 years old. Anthony Rizzo, 27, is the oldest position player.
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) May 16, 2017
As usual, we’ll have your full Pre-Gamin’ closer to game time (7:05 CT) – but in the meantime, I strongly encourage you to check out Brett’s latest on Kyle Schwarber:
Kyle Schwarber’s Brutal 0-16 Cold Streak Is Kinda Sorta Not That At All https://t.co/m18bXEMIvF pic.twitter.com/EuA5xvK8m3
— Brett Taylor (@BleacherNation) May 16, 2017