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CUBS LINEUP — Later this afternoon, the Chicago Cubs will play host to the Texas Rangers for a little Cactus League action. But just 11 short days from now, the next time they meet up, the games will count for real. We are fewer than two weeks away from the regular season, and I can’t wait.
Speaking of Opening Day, today’s Rangers’ starter, Jose Ureña, was the guy on the mound that time Ian Happ hit the first pitch of the regular season out of Marlins stadium for a home run (sending me into a frigid Lake Michigan). And whaddaya know …
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
- Ian Happ, DH
- Seiya Suzuki, RF
- Cody Bellinger, CF
- Chris Morel, 3B
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Michael Busch, 1B
- Nico Hoerner, 2B
- Mike Tauchman, LF
- Miguel Amaya, C
IAN HAPP IS BACK!
Dealing with a hamstring injury for most of spring training, Happ has been out for a while now, and I was starting to get concerned. But he’s back in there today, at DH, easing himself back into action with plenty of time to go before Opening Day.
You’ll also notice this is almost certainly the actual Opening Day starting lineup, with just a few small exceptions:
- Ian Happ will be in left field, not DH.
- Miguel Amaya and Yan Gomes will rotate at catcher
- Mike Tauchman won’t necessarily be the everyday DH (or even the most frequent DH)
But to start the year, I wouldn’t be surprised if those are the nine guys you see most often! As it stands, this team is probably short one bat. But that might not last long. If Pete Crow-Armstrong comes up sooner than later, he’ll push Cody Bellinger to first, Michael Busch to DH, and Mike Tauchman to the bench. And *that* will be a very solid Cubs lineup.
Texas Rangers Lineup:
- Marcus Semien, 2B
- Leody Taveras, CF
- Evan Carter, KF
- Wyatt Langford, DH
- Travis Jankowski, RF
- Jared Walsh, 1B
- Ezequiel Duran, SS
- Josh Smith, 3B
- Andrew Knizer, C
Pitching Matchup:
Chicago Cubs: Javier Assad, RHP
Texas Rangers: Jose Ureña, RHP
Broadcast Info:
Chicago Cubs (14-8) vs Texas Rangers (10-10) at 3:05 pm CT – Marquee Sports Network