Stroman and Chicago, Bellinger Raking, Nico Prevents History, Old Friends Struggling, Woodruff Hurt, and Other Cubs Bullets

Ahhhh. Getting outside every day for just a bit. We’re back to that. And I love it. That sunlight on my face, it just makes such a difference in my overall mood.

  • Once again, the Cubs won a series, and that’s the most important thing. Any series the Cubs can win right now in this stretch against exclusively strong teams, that’s great. I just wish they could pull off a sweep. That said, I swear I won’t be greedy: if the Cubs want to do the win-two-lose-one ordering again this weekend in Los Angeles, I’d be ecstatic (especially because that Sunday game is going to come against Julio Urias).
  • Marcus Stroman, who was excellent yesterday even without his best command, talked about the Ian Happ extension and how he wants to stay as well:
  • Stroman, 32 next month, has one more year left on his deal after this season, but he’s also got an opt-out. Give how he’s pitching, it’s a lock that he’ll opt out if not earlier extended (and given the Cubs’ starting pitching depth – and some other possible targets in free agency – I’m not sure they’ll extend in advance of free agency; my guess is they let Stroman opt out, but then stay in touch in the offseason).
  • Every series counts, but after that very first series (in the cold and also against Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff), Cody Bellinger has been raking:
  • Bellinger homered in the 9th yesterday:
  • Got a tip from a friend that this Tucker Barnhart-Nico Hoerner 9th inning throwout combo prevented Julio Rodriguez from becoming the fastest (in games played) player to ever reach 30 homers and 30 steals:
  • Without that play, Rodriguez would’ve pulled it off in just 145 games to start his career. Alas, Nico happened. Sorry to JRod. Mike Trout did it in 146 games.
  • I presume better days are ahead for him, but at the moment, Willson Contreras is hitting just .179/.238/.205/26 wRC+ for the Cardinals. That’s the 10th worst wRC+ in baseball right now.
  • Unrelated – at least in terms of me holding a little animosity about how the separation happened – the current worst hitter in baseball is Javy Báez: .100/.163/.100 with a NEGATIVE 28 wRC+. Of some particular concern in the early going for Báez is that his strikeout rate is just 18.2%, but his ISO is literally zero. He is making lots of contact, but has no extra-base hits. As you might guess, his contact quality is abysmal – he’s swinging out of the zone more than ever *AND* making contact with it more than ever. It’s the worst of both worlds, and that’s just not his style. More contact isn’t always better.
  • Brandon Woodruff is headed to the Injured List with shoulder inflammation. Anything with the shoulder gives you pause, but it sounds like more caution than anything. From Woodruff: “Coming into this week, I wasn’t expecting to miss any time. Then, just from playing catch and [the] throwing program, I just wasn’t able to recover the way I wanted to. Being so early, there’s not any sense in pushing something right now and then it leads to something big where you miss a big chunk of the season. I was very hesitant to really honestly say something, but I knew if I didn’t I would go out there and I would do more damage.” Woodruff, 30, has a sub-3 ERA for the Brewers since he became a full-time member of their rotation in 2019, so he’s obviously quite important to their season.
  • Janson Junk filled in last night for Woodruff, and gave up 5 runs (4 ER) over 4.2 innings in a loss to the Diamondbacks.
  • Brennen Davis gets hit by so many pitches. He seemed to be OK after this one went off his hand and into his face:
  • omg:
  • A day later, this news is still awesome, and it’s still very cool that Michael got to break it:
  • Give him a follow, and he will therefore feel pressure to keep doing good tweets.
  • Owen Caissie’s three-homer night came on his mother’s birthday:
  • The Tampa Bay Rays just keep on winning:
  • Bulls keeping the season alive:
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    Latest News

    Best NBA Prop Bets Today – Friday, March 29, 2024

    Today's NBA schedule has 12 quality competitions in store. Among those games is the Minnesota Timberwolves playing the Denver Nuggets.NBA prop bets for today's games are available, so if you're interested in placing a bet or building a parlay, you'll...

    Updated Elite 8 Odds: UConn Betting Favorite To Win March Madness

    There were some great performances last night including a 30-point win by the UConn Huskies sending them to the Elite Eight. Are they the betting favorite to win March Madness? What team is sitting on top of the odds to...

    UConn vs. Illinois Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round Elite Eight

    The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (34-3) are 8.5-point favorites to advance to the Final Four when they play the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday at TD Garden, airing on...

    Alabama vs. Clemson Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – NCAA Tournament Round Elite Eight

    The No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11) and No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers (24-11) will both be vying for a spot in the NCAA Tournament Final Four when they meet on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, tipping off at 8:49...

    How to Watch UConn Huskies vs. Illinois Fighting Illini: Live Stream or on TV

    The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies (34-3) will take on the No. 3 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (29-8) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Saturday at TD Garden, airing on TBS starting at 6:09 PM ET.UConn won its previous...

    Alabama vs. Clemson: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The No. 6 seed Clemson Tigers (24-11) will take the court for an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup with the No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (24-11) on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, airing on TBS beginning at 8:49 PM ET,...

    Today’s March Madness Schedule: Updated Bracket, TV Channels for Every Game

    We saw some wild games last night as the Sweet 16 started hot as March Madness continues. There are great matchups tonight worth checking out. Take a look at today's March Madness schedule for Friday, March 29. The Sweet 16...

    Big Ten Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 29

    There is one game on the postseason college basketball schedule on Friday that feature Big Ten squads, and we have best bets recomendations. That matchup is the Gonzaga Bulldogs versus the Purdue Boilermakers.How to Bet on Big Ten Games[lasso ref="draftkings-promo-1"...

    SEC Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 30

    The Friday postseason college basketball slate includes two games featuring an SEC team in action. Among those games is the Creighton Bluejays playing the Tennessee Volunteers. Here are our recomendations for the best bets on action throughout the conference.How to...

    Big 12 Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 30

    There is one game on the postseason college basketball schedule on Friday that feature Big 12 squads, and we have best bets recomendations. That matchup is the Duke Blue Devils versus the Houston Cougars.How to Bet on Big 12 Games[lasso...

    more cubs news