NEWSLETTER
CUBS LINEUP — Heads up! With the time change last night, these games are now at 3:05 CT, an hour later than they had been all spring. Here’s a look at the Cubs lineup for this afternoon’s matchup against Cody Bradford and the Texas Rangers (whom Justin Steele and the Cubs will take on Opening Day).
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Mike Tauchman, CF
- Alexander Canario, RF
- Chris Morel, 3B
- Michael Busch, 1B
- Miguel Amaya, C
- Miles Mastrobuoni, SS
- Jorge Alfaro, DH
- David Bote, LF
- Chase Strumpf, 2B
I don’t know when Chase Strumpf got so old, but the Cubs 2019 second round pick is somehow already 26. I guess that’s what happens when you stall out at Double-A for a few seasons. Now, Strumpf did finally reach Triple-A last year (102 wRC+ over 67 games), but given the presence of Nico Hoerner, Christoper Morel, Matt Shaw, and James Triantos, it’s hard to imagine his path to prolonged big league time at second base in this organization.
But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have value as a potential bench piece. I just think there was a brief time back in 2020-2021, when it looked like he could have been quite a bit more than that. Alas. Baseball is hard. Today, he plays second base and bats ninth.
Other than that, there’s not much of note in today’s lineup. I’ll continue to watch Christopher Morel’s progress at third base, and hopefully we’ll get to see Michael Busch destroy a baseball.
Texas Rangers Lineup:
- Marcus Semien, 2B
- Evan Carter, RF
- Wyatt Langford, LF
- Adolis Garvia, DH
- Jonah Heim, C
- Jared Walsh, 1B
- Matt Duffy, 3B
- Josh Smith, SS
- Leody Taveras, CF
Pitching Matchup:
Chicago Cubs: Drew Smyly, LHP
Texas Rangers: Cody Bradford, LHP
Broadcast Info:
Chicago Cubs (8-7) vs Texas Rangers (8-6) at 3:05 pm CT – Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score
