Chicago sends Shota Imanaga (4-5, 4.04) at Andre Pallante (5-4, 3.76) to kick off the weekend. Imanaga's last time out was a 7-earned-run beating from the Astros over 6 innings, and per Bleacher Nation he's coughed up 15 runs on 16 hits across his last 2 starts. Pallante, meanwhile, has been quietly excellent — 5 earned runs across his last 17.2 innings — but is 0-4 with a 4.40 ERA in his career against the Cubs.
The vibes on both sides are bad in different ways. The Cubs dropped 3 straight, including a 12-1 wipeout in Pittsburgh, before salvaging the last 2 games of that series by a combined 17-6. The Cardinals just got swept in Milwaukee, scored a grand total of 2 runs across the 3 games, and per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch went 2-of-32 with runners in scoring position over the last 4 games of the road trip. Yes, both teams want this one.
The Cardinals' offense isn't just slumping — it's broken. They've lost 7 of 9 and rank dead last in the NL hitting .222 with runners in scoring position. Dustin May carried a no-hitter into the 8th against them on Wednesday before they cobbled together a 2-1 loss. Walking into a Friday-night divisional opener riding that kind of energy is brutal, even if Imanaga is the kind of arm a struggling lineup can get healthy against.
- 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 went 3-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Padres.
- 15-Day-ILMatthew Boyd SP — Boyd (knee) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILEdward Cabrera SP — Cabrera was removed from Wednesday's game against the Brewers with a blister on his right middle finger, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com 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.
- Day-To-DayPacky Naughton RP — Naughton will undergo surgery next month to repair the damaged UCL in his left elbow, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
- Day-To-DaySem Robberse SP — Robberse (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Monday, which includes an invitation to spring training, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
- Day-To-DayVictor Santos RP — The Red Sox traded Santos (undisclosed) and Nick Robertson to the Cardinals on Friday in exchange for Tyler O'Neill (foot), Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
- Day-To-DayIxan Henderson SP — Henderson (elbow) is starting the season on the 60-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis.
- Day-To-DayZack Thompson RP — The Cardinals reassigned Thompson (shoulder) to minor-league camp Monday.
- 10-Day-ILNathan Church LF — Church (shoulder) received clearance from a specialist Tuesday to start a plyometric and strengthening program, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
- 10-Day-ILRamon Urias 3B — Urias' (elbow) resumption of a throwing program is considered imminent, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
- 60-Day-ILLars Nootbaar LF — The Cardinals are eyeing June 1 as a target date for Nootbaar's (heels) activation from the 60-day injured list, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The Cubs' rotation is held together with tape — Justin Steele is out until after the All-Star break, Cade Horton and Matthew Boyd are on the IL, and Edward Cabrera got pulled with a blister last week. That makes every Imanaga turn matter, and getting him right is the bigger thing for Chicago than any single game. St. Louis is closer to whole, with Lars Nootbaar reportedly targeting a June 1 return that would land mid-series.
Pinnacle's number is Cubs -132 with a total of 7.5, which feels about right for a matchup between two lineups that have forgotten what an extra-base hit looks like. If you're betting it, the under has been the read on the Cardinals' offense for weeks now. If you're just watching, settle in for a 3-2 game where one bullpen blinks.