Chris Morel plays where you need him to play. And I love him for that.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Nick Madrigal, 2B
- Willson Contreras, C
- Patrick Wisdom, 3B
- Seiya Suzuki, RF
- Franmil Reyes, DH
- Ian Happ, LF
- Nelson Velázquez, CF
- P.J. Higgins, 1B
- Chris Morel, SS
SP: Keegan Thompson, RHP
With a lefty on the mound this afternoon, Zach McKinstry is out of the Cubs lineup, Patrick Wisdom is playing third and moving up in the batting order, and Nick Madrigal is leading off.
But as I teased in the intro, the most interesting choice is Chris Morel starting at shortstop for the third time in his big league career. He is by no means an everyday shortstop, but his ability to play there – even in a pinch – is going to be a big part of his value to the Cubs over the coming years. He strikes me as the Cubs best bet for a true super utility man and that has just so much value when deployed correctly.
In the meantime, P.J. Higgins is getting his FOURTH STRAIGHT start at first base, and is still an above average hitter as he approaches the 125 PAs mark today.
As usual, we’ll have your full Pre-Gamin’ post closer to game time (1:20 CT).
FYI, the Cubs have a couple of hot bats: