First pitch is 7:05 PM CT at Wrigley, and the Cubs hand the ball to Shota Imanaga (4-6, 4.37) coming off a 5-run dud in St. Louis. J.T. Ginn (3-3, 2.87) goes for the A's after spinning 6 shutout innings against the Yankees in his last start. Pinnacle has the Cubs at -130 with a total of 8.5 — a coin flip the home crowd would very much like to call correctly.
It is hard to overstate how badly Chicago needs this one. The Cubs went 5-16 in May, fell apart down the stretch in Wednesday's 5-4 loss after blowing a late lead, and are now 32-30 staring at a sweep from a team they were supposed to roll over to kick off a soft stretch of the schedule. Craig Counsell has already shaken the lineup — Pete Crow-Armstrong has been mashing out of the 1/2 hole — but the bullpen leaks keep showing up at the worst possible time.
The Athletics are playing with house money and a skeleton rotation. Luis Severino is shelved 4-to-6 weeks with a shoulder strain, Aaron Civale is just starting a throwing progression, and the lineup is still without Jacob Wilson and Max Muncy. None of that has mattered the last two nights. Ginn, meanwhile, is quietly putting together a real season — 2.87 ERA, coming off 6 zeros — and is the exact profile (strike-thrower, sinker-heavy) that has been giving the Cubs fits.
- Day-To-DayLeo De Vries SS — De Vries went 3-for-5 with two solo home runs Sunday for Double-A Midland.
- 10-Day-ILMax Muncy 3B — Muncy (hand) will serve as the designated hitter for Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILJacob Wilson SS — Wilson (shoulder) has been ramping up his baseball activities and could begin a rehab assignment next week, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILAaron Civale SP — Civale (shoulder) began a throwing progression Monday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILLuis Severino SP — The Athletics announced Tuesday that Severino has been diagnosed with a strain of his right shoulder capsule and subscapularis muscle and will be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILBrooks Kriske RP — Kriske (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for at least three weeks, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILDenzel Clarke CF — Clarke (hamstring) will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILGunnar Hoglund SP — Hoglund (knee/back) will be sidelined for the rest of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on his left hip Monday.
- Day-To-DayBrandon Birdsell RP — Birdsell (elbow) will miss the entire 2026 season, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline reports.
- Day-To-DayJeff Brigham RP — Brigham was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A St. Paul, retroactive to April 6, with a left oblique strain, TwinsDaily.com reports.
- Day-To-DayJaxon Wiggins SP — Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Wiggins was placed on Triple-A Iowa's 7-day injured list Wednesday due to right elbow inflammation, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
- 10-Day-ILMatt Shaw RF — Shaw (back) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, going hitless in three plate appearances.
- 15-Day-ILEdward Cabrera SP — Cabrera (finger) will start Saturday's game against the Giants, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
- 15-Day-ILMatthew Boyd SP — Boyd (knee) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
- 15-Day-ILRiley Martin RP — Martin has been diagnosed with flexor strain in his left elbow and is expected to miss eight weeks, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
- 60-Day-ILHunter Harvey RP — The Cubs moved Harvey (triceps) from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL on Sunday.
Imanaga has to be the stopper. The Cubs were written off in March and he has carried a depleted staff most of the year, but the last start in St. Louis was the worst of it — 5 earned in 5.1, only 2 strikeouts. A bounce-back at home against an A's lineup that just put up 13 on the Yankees a week ago is the bar.
Pick your spot. The market thinks the Cubs are slight favorites and the total feels honest at 8.5 with Ginn on the mound. If Imanaga doesn't get to the 6th, this turns into another bullpen referendum — and Cubs fans have had plenty of those already.