The regular season looms just a week away, so these guys are getting into their last round of ABs and innings to ramp things up …
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
Nico Hoerner, 2B- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Ian Happ, LF
- Trey Mancini, DH
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Patrick Wisdom, RF
- Eric Hosmer, 1B
- Edwin Rios, 3B
- Tucker Barnhart, C
It’s a group of regulars today for the Cubs, and it also offers up a clue as to how things might work on days when the Cubs want to get all four of Mancini, Wisdom, Hosmer, and Rios in the lineup.
UPDATE: Hoerner has been scratched due to left biceps tightness, per the Cubs. Multiple reports indicate Hoerner was taking part in pre-game activities and this is just a matter of being overly cautious. Here’s hoping.
Miles Mastrobuoni takes over at second base and bats at the bottom of the new order. Everyone else just bumps up a spot.
Pitching Matchup:
Cubs: Hayden Wesneski, RHP
Diamondbacks: TBA
The Cubs have not yet made any official announcement on the fifth starter job, which sure SEEMS to belong to Wesneski. I would greatly have preferred that he already knew, coming into his final one or two spring outings, that he had the job locked up. Then he can go into prep mode, rather than compete mode; but, hey, given what we know about Wesneski, it might not have mattered. The guy is probably going to try to dominate out there no matter what the circumstances.
How to Watch:
Chicago Cubs (13-10) vs Arizona Diamondbacks (12-12) at 3:05 pm CT on Marquee Sports Network.