NEWSLETTER
With Kyle Hendricks on the mound today (and a win last night), the Cubs have a real shot to steal this series against the White Sox. But they’ll have to go through Dylan Cease to get there, and he’s struck out 121 batters over his last 17 starts (30.7 K%), so, you know … yikes.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
1. Rafael Ortega, CF
2. Frank Schwindel, DH
3. Ian Happ, LF
4. Patrick Wisdom, 3B
5. Matt Duffy, 2B
6. Jason Heyward, RF
7. Austin Romine, C
8. Alfonso Rivas, 1B
9. Sergio Alcantara, SS
I’m not sure I care *quite* as much as Brett, but I really remain befuddled that Michael Hermosillo is not starting everyday. Like, do we really need to see Jason Heyward in the lineup this often? Is there really more to be gained by continuing to start him over Hermosillo?
At least with Ian Happ (in left) or Rafael Ortega (in center) you can make an argument that there *is* information to be gleaned that could be relevant to the future of the Cubs. Ditto Hermosillo, of course. But with Heyward? Not so much.
Anyway, the big news of the day is the debut of Cubs prospect Anfonso Rivas, 24, who was slashing .284/.405/.411 (126 wRC+) in Triple-A Iowa this season, with 35 walks against just 49 strikeouts. He’s a left-handed first baseman by trade, so a similar profile to Frank Schwindel, who’s at DH today, which will make coordinating their playing time in a DH-less world a little tricky. We’ll see how Ross handles it and what else is in store for Rivas down the stretch. More on the roster move in a second.
And, as usual, we’ll have your full Pre-Gamin’ post closer to game time (1:10 CT).
Dylan Cease:
