For a large portion of the season, Rafael Ortega and Chris Morel had the Cubs leadoff spot locked down — the only thing that mattered was the handedness of the opposing starter. But those days are far behind us.
Morel is usually near the bottom of the order now (and it’s working just fine for him) while Ortega is in there far less often overall for any number of reasons (including, indirectly, the return of Nick Madrigal and the arrival of Franmil Reyes). So now, David Ross choice at leadoff is a bit of a surprise every day. Nick Madrigal has been getting some nods lately, but today, we have a new one.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Zach McKinstry, 2B
- Nico Hoerner, SS
- Seiya Suzuki, RF
- Ian Happ, LF
- Franmil Reyes, DH
- Rafael Ortega, CF
- Patrick Wisdom, 3B
- Yan Gomes, C
- P.J. Higgins, 1B
SP: Drew Smyly, LHP
Against the former Cubs righty Cory Abbott, Ross is rolling out a new look lineup with Zach McKinstry up top and Nico Hoerner in the two-hole (and the message board goes wild). The middle of the order looks pretty normal for a group without Willson Contreras.
Meanwhile, the lack of Madrigal means second base is open for McKinstry, third base is open for Wisdom, and first is open for Higgins. That means Yan Gomes is behind the plate with Drew Smyly on the mound. Interesting group today.
As usual, we’ll have your full Pre-Gamin’ post closer to game time (12:05 CT).