Ben Brown (1-2, 2.01) takes the mound for the Cubs against Kyle Leahy (5-3, 4.44) at Busch Stadium, first pitch 6:15 PM CT. Brown is coming off 6 innings of 1-run, 7-strikeout ball against the Pirates. Leahy got tagged for 5 earned in 5 innings against the Reds in his last outing — the kind of split that explains why the market has Chicago at -137 on the moneyline.
Friday's opener was the Nelson Velázquez show. Promoted from Triple-A Memphis hours before first pitch, he turned around the first MLB pitch he'd seen since June 2024 for a 3-run shot to tie it at 3, and Iván Herrera and Thomas Saggese piled on with solo blasts in a 6-5 Cardinals win. That snapped a 4-game St. Louis skid in which they'd been held to 2 runs or fewer in 3 straight.
The Cubs walk in at 31-27 but the last week has been a wave — losing 2 to the Pirates, blasting them 10-4 and 7-2, then handing one back to the Cardinals on Friday. The Cards are 30-25 and clearly need the bats they unlocked Friday to keep showing up, because before that they'd scored 2 total runs across the prior 3 games.
The injury context matters here. Chicago's rotation is being held together with tape — Justin Steele is out until after the All-Star break, Cade Horton and Edward Cabrera are on the IL, and Matthew Boyd is still on a rehab assignment at Iowa. The bullpen is missing Hunter Harvey and Porter Hodge on the 60-day. That's a real burden if Brown doesn't go deep.
- 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.
St. Louis is waiting on Lars Nootbaar, with June 1 floated as a target for his return from the 60-day IL, which would meaningfully reshape this lineup if he's back for the series finale. For tonight, the path for the Cubs is simple: Brown does Brown things, the bullpen covers 3 innings, and they don't let a journeyman call-up beat them twice.