Stroman Keeps It on the Ground, the Defense Assists, Thompson and Heuer, and Other Cubs Bullets

Ambitious crossover event: ‘Succession’ meets the Chicago Cubs.

Cousin Greg is about to fumble his way up to Assistant GM:

Ah, but what does it MEAN for Sunday’s series finale …

  • It’s going to be so nice to see Kyle Hendricks back on the mound for the Chicago Cubs tonight at Wrigley Field. I’m realistic about how it might go from a results standpoint – and, good or bad, it’s just one outing – but it’s impossible not to root for him. Both for the connection to the last great Cubs team, and for the work he put in to get himself back on the mound over the last year.
  • When a guy talks about how he wants to lean on his sinker because of the quality defense behind him on the infield (sanker gonna be sankin’ and all), you love to see a night like that from Marcus Stroman. He got 15 groundballs, two of which turned into double-plays – so a whopping 17 outs on the ground. That’s how you go 8.0 innings of two-run ball with only three strikeouts. And look at this outstanding location:
  • Speaking of which, the Cubs remain just about as good as they hoped they’d be defensively on the infield:
  • When you dig in, no surprise that shortstop (+7) and second base (+7) are carrying the load there (first base is 0, which is fine, and third base is -1, which isn’t terrible). Interestingly, the Cubs are just 10th overall in DRS because the outfield rates brutally. Center field is -1, which you’d expect to be in positive territory with Cody Bellinger making most of the starts, and each of the corners are -6, which is among the worst numbers in the league. I would not say Ian Happ has looked as good this year as he did last year, and I still see Seiya Suzuki’s performance in right field as mixed, but among the worst in baseball? That just doesn’t quite track for me. Always keep in mind – both good and bad – that small-sample advanced defensive metrics are tricky, and anything short of at least a full season is a pretty small sample.
  • If you missed it, Stroman, himself is pretty outstanding on defense, too. Look at the lead he gave Dansby Swanson on the double-play he started:
  • And the jump throw play was just magnificent:
  • Keegan Thompson arrived at Iowa to get himself back on track and, uh, well:
  • Before we freak, I think there has to be a little grace for any guy who gets demoted when he wasn’t expecting it – when he thought maybe he was a locked-in, full-time big leaguer now. Don’t get me wrong, you’d rather see a guy go down and dominate right away, but I don’t know that a terrible initial outing necessarily says much more than this is a guy who needs to get himself re-settled. Plus, you never know what a guy has been asked to work on – mechanically or pitch mix – down there, and that can take some adjustment. We see that all the time. Of note, Thompson threw his cutter last night half of his pitches, which is dramatically more than usual.
  • In better reliever news from that Iowa game:
  • Although Jed Hoyer wouldn’t say this week that Heuer will return to the big league team as soon as he’s eligible to be activated off the 60-day IL (five days from now), he’s pitching on a regular schedule, he’s gone over an inning, and he’s throwing 97-99 mph. That seems like a guy who’s just about ready to return after a long Tommy John recovery (though he would notably be returning ahead of schedule – his recovery period was expected to be longer than usual because of a more involved version of the surgery). Best bet is that he makes one more appearance at Iowa in the coming days, and then comes to join the Cubs at Wrigley Field so they can get a final check-in with him in a bullpen session. Then a decision will be made on when to activate him.
  • And in non-Cubs-reliever news, Jhoan Duran remains unbelievable. Each of these three pitches – the combination of velocity and/or movement – should not be humanly possible:
  • If you missed it last night, one of the Cubs’ big bonus prospects from last year’s IFA class, Josefrailin Alcántara, is no longer in the organization, and is being sought by police in the Dominican Republic in connection with a shooting death.
  • 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

    Finally, a Team Wanted the Reigning NL Cy Young Winner

    The rumors all wound up being true: Blake Snell would take a two-year deal in the $60 million range, the Giants were probably the favorites now, and the pressure was on to get something done. Per Jon Heyman, it two...

    Blake Snell’s Reasonable Price Tag? Why Jordan Montgomery Might Wait a Little Longer?

    A couple updates on the top remaining - yup, still - free agent starting pitchers, lefties Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. Although rumors picked up on Snell and the Astros late last week, no signing news dropped. It was surprising,...

    Garrett Crochet Will Start on Opening Day for the White Sox, Marking an Extreme Rarity

    We don't cover the White Sox around here in a particularly close way - maybe a touch more than other non-NL-Central clubs because of the intracity interest - but this was surprising and interesting enough for me to note. The...

    Chicago Cubs Shortstop Prospect Jefferson Rojas Wants to Be Javy Báez

    I haven’t exactly made it a secret that Jefferson Rojas is one of my favorite prospects in the Chicago Cubs’ farm system. After debuting in the DSL at 17, Rojas skipped complex ball and wound up at Low-A Myrtle Beach...

    Taillon Throwing and a Roster Benefit, Amaya Catching, Friedl Wrist, Williams, Alonso, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know, if Seiya really rakes, and Cody hits again, and if Nico and Happ get on base a ton and Busch turns out to be a stud, and if Dansby is above average and Amaya breaks out and Morel...

    Spring Training Miscellany: Celebrate With a Green Beer, Happ Returns, Assad Solid, Cubs Win

    The Cubs won their St. Patrick's Day game over the Rangers 8-6 today, and it's time to tip back a green one in celebration ... About what you'd want to see from Javier Assad today as he continues to stretch...

    Chicago Cubs Lineup: Ian Happ is Back!

    *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 this Chicago Cubs lineup? Don't miss out! For a limited time only, RECEIVE 10% OFF your...

    The Third Cut Includes Mervis, Four Others

    (Hear the song in your mind - it still fits!) The Chicago Cubs made their next set of cuts from big league camp today, sending out five players who were generally not expected to make the Opening Day roster. The...

    Spring Leaders, Key Injuries, Rays Payroll, Luck of the Irish, and Other Cubs Bullets

    A mighty fine St. Patrick's Day to you all. Although I've got a good bit of Irish in my blood, it's never been something I've connected to all that much. You can't really force it, but I kinda want to...

    Spring Training Miscellany: Cubs Sweep the Split-Squad Day

    It was a split-squad day for the Cubs today, and they won both by a total of two runs. It was 4-3 over the Angels and 8-7 over the Royals. The only teams with a better spring record than the...

    Latest News

    OH MY: ANTHONY EDWARDS JUST HAD THE BEST DUNK OF THE YEAR

    Anthony Edwards has done it again. The emerging Minnesota Timberwolves superstar jammed the most impressive poster dunk of the season against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Pushing the pace in transition during the third quarter, Edwards passed the ball...

    De’Aaron Fox Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Grizzlies – Monday, March 18, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, De'Aaron Fox must make three from beyond the arc on Monday, when his Sacramento Kings face the Memphis Grizzlies, tipping off at 10:00 PM ET.De'Aaron Fox's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the GrizzliesDe'Aaron Fox's over/under for...

    Malik Monk Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Grizzlies – Monday, March 18, 2024

    Will Malik Monk make three 3-pointers when the Sacramento Kings face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday at 10:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his prop for the game.Malik Monk's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the GrizzliesMalik Monk's over/under for three-pointers...

    Bogdan Bogdanovic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – Monday, March 18, 2024

    At 10:30 PM ET on Monday, it'll be the Atlanta Hawks against the Los Angeles Lakers, with Bogdan Bogdanovic needing three trifectas to beat his 3-pointer prop.Bogdan Bogdanovic's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the LakersBogdan Bogdanovic's over/under for three-pointers in this...

    Anthony Davis Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Hawks – Monday, March 18, 2024

    The Los Angeles Lakers face the Atlanta Hawks at 10:30 PM ET on Monday, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this clash requires just one make from Anthony Davis.Anthony Davis' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HawksAnthony Davis' over/under...

    Dejounte Murray Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – Monday, March 18, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, Dejounte Murray must make four from downtown on Monday, when his Atlanta Hawks face the Los Angeles Lakers, tipping off at 10:30 PM ET.Dejounte Murray's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the LakersDejounte Murray's over/under for three-pointers...

    D’Angelo Russell Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Hawks – Monday, March 18, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, D'Angelo Russell must make three from beyond the arc on Monday, when his Los Angeles Lakers play the Atlanta Hawks, starting at 10:30 PM ET.D'Angelo Russell's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HawksD'Angelo Russell's over/under for...

    LeBron James Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Hawks – Monday, March 18, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, LeBron James needs to make three from downtown on Monday, when his Los Angeles Lakers face the Atlanta Hawks on Monday at 10:30 PM ET.LeBron James' Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the HawksLeBron James' over/under for...

    Finally, a Team Wanted the Reigning NL Cy Young Winner

    The rumors all wound up being true: Blake Snell would take a two-year deal in the $60 million range, the Giants were probably the favorites now, and the pressure was on to get something done. Per Jon Heyman, it two...

    Damian Lillard Pulled Up to Watch the Bulls Play the Trail Blazers

    Damian Lillard wants to be traded to the Chicago Bulls confirmed. The Milwaukee Bucks All-Star starter was a surprise guest at the Chicago Bulls' Monday night game. Lillard made the drive down from Milwaukee for an opportunity to sit courtside...

    more cubs news