The headline name is Pete Crow-Armstrong. NL Player of the Week, riding a 12-game hit streak at .392/.456/.745 with 5 homers, and he already torched San Francisco for a 2-homer game in the earlier leg of this home-and-home. Ian Happ is heating up too — 4 homers and 5 doubles over his last 8. If Brown gives the Cubs anything close to what he gave them last week, this lineup has the juice to put it away early.
The Giants, meanwhile, are a 28-42 mess trying to patch an outfield together. Heliot Ramos (quad) is still working through a hitting progression in Arizona with no rehab timetable, and Harrison Bader is on the IL hitting .170 before he got hurt. Bryce Eldridge's 9th-inning homer Friday was about all the home crowd had to chew on.
- Day-To-DayBrandon Birdsell (RP) — Birdsell (elbow) will miss the entire 2026 season, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline reports.05/08
- 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.05/08
- 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.05/08
- 15-Day-ILMatthew Boyd (SP) — Boyd (knee) will no longer return from the injured list to start against the Giants this weekend after reporting shoulder soreness following his latest rehab start Saturday at Triple-A Iowa, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.06/10
- 15-Day-ILJameson Taillon (SP) — Taillon (hamstring) is expected to be sidelined until after the All-Star break, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.06/09
- 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.05/08
- 60-Day-ILHunter Harvey (RP) — The Cubs moved Harvey (triceps) from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL on Sunday.05/17
- 60-Day-ILJustin Steele (SP) — Manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Steele's (elbow) setback will keep him sidelined until after the All-Star break, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILPorter Hodge (RP) — The Cubs transferred Hodge (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILShelby Miller (RP) — The Cubs placed Miller (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILCade Horton (SP) — The Cubs transferred Horton (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILTyler Austin (1B) — The Cubs placed Austin (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
- 10-Day-ILHeliot Ramos (LF) — Ramos (quadriceps) will begin a hitting progression at the Giants' spring training complex in Arizona on Monday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.06/01
- 10-Day-ILHarrison Bader (CF) — Bader isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Colorado, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.05/30
- 15-Day-ILMatt Gage (RP) — The Giants placed Gage on the 15-day injured list with knee inflammation Wednesday, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.06/03
- 15-Day-ILTyler Mahle (SP) — The Giants placed Mahle on the 15-day injured list Friday, retroactive to Wednesday, due to a left hamstring strain, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.05/29
- 60-Day-ILJason Foley (RP) — Foley was pulled off his rehab assignment after experiencing right shoulder fatigue, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.06/08
- 60-Day-ILJoel Peguero (RP) — The Giants placed Peguero on the 60-day injured list Monday due to a left hamstring strain, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.06/01
- 60-Day-ILJared Oliva (CF) — Oliva (wrist) started at designated hitter and went 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, a double, an RBI and a run scored in Triple-A Sacramento's 6-4 loss to Reno on Saturday.05/31
- 60-Day-ILRowan Wick (RP) — The Giants placed Wick (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILHayden Birdsong (RP) — Birdsong underwent successful UCL reconstruction surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILRandy Rodriguez (RP) — The Giants placed Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILJose Butto (RP) — The Giants transferred Butto (arm) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
The Cubs rotation is held together with duct tape behind Brown — Boyd, Taillon, Steele and Horton are all sidelined — but he's been the answer to the question they've been asking all year. McDonald has had some peripherals that suggest better days (3.22 xFIP per FanGraphs), but he's walking too many and the Cubs lineup is in no mood to let a wobbly righty off the hook. Chicago should be the play to take the series.