The Cactus League Cubs put a little space between themselves and .500 with a win over the Royals last night. But because that was a night game, all of last night’s starters (which featured a lot of “regulars”) are on the bench this afternoon. Even Adbert Alzolay is stepping in for the start.
Chicago Cubs Lineup
- Nick Madrigal, 3B
- Trey Mancini, 1B
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Yan Gomes, C
- Edwin Rios, DH
- Mike Tauchman, RF
- Miles Mastrobuoni, SS
- Ben DeLuzio, LF
- Zach McKinstry, 2B
I wonder how much longer we have until the next round of cuts … because that one could be a big one, including a lot of the names in today’s lineup. It seems likely, at this point, that Rios and Tauchman will make the big league team, but McKinstry, for one extreme example? If he doesn’t, the Cubs might lose him, as he’s out of options.
Pitching Matchup:
Cubs: Adbert Alzolay, RHP
A’s: James Kaprielian, RHP
The Cubs have already announced that Adbert Alzolay is heading to the bullpen this season, so don’t read anything into him “starting,” today. He will likely be a bit of a multi-inning weapon/long man (in the modern sense), though, so he could still get more than one inning of work this afternoon. That could be even more important, in fact, if Keegan Thompson’s velocity doesn’t return sooner than later.
How to Watch:
Chicago Cubs (12-10) vs Oakland Athletics (10-12) at 3:05 CT on Marquee Sports Network