Chicago Cubs Lineup (8/16/24): Suzuki DH, Bellinger RF, Hendricks Starting
The Cubs ruined all the momentum from a hot stretch with a sweep at the hands of the Guardians in Cleveland and now return to Chicago to face another team that has spent big with disappointing results. Even if they were able to hit the reset button on Thursday, Craig Counsell‘s squad isn’t likely to turn things around at this point. That won’t stop him from trying to pull more levers, one of which sees two players swapping spots in the field.
Or rather, swapping between the field and DH. As has been expected for a while, Seiya Suzuki is going to spend more time as the DH now that Cody Bellinger‘s broken finger has healed enough for him to catch and throw. And with Pete Crow-Armstrong getting everyday reps in center, Belli is back to his old stomping grounds in right.
The lineup itself is pretty much the same as we’ve seen lately, with Ian Happ leading off in left and Michael Busch handling first base. Then it’s Suzuki and Bellinger with Isaac Paredes at third, Nico Hoerner at second, and Dansby Swanson at short. Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya round things out.
Kyle Hendricks is on the bump as he effectively plays out the string on what has been a tremendous career on the North Side. He’s had flashes of brilliance at times this season, but many of his starts leave folks wishing more of these games were broadcast on a streaming service they don’t subscribe to. As luck may have it, Apple TV+ is carrying this one.
On the bump for the Blue Jays is 27-year-old rookie Yariel Rodríguez, a Cuban who was signed out of Japan after pitching for several years in NPB. His 1-5 record is more a product of his team’s performance, as the righty carries a 3.53 ERA into this one. His walks are a little inflated and that has hurt, but he strikes out more than one batter per inning and does a good job of keeping the ball in the yard.
Rodríguez isn’t a big dude at 6-foot and 165 pounds, but he brings mid-90s heat from a compact delivery that doesn’t get much extension. He works up in the zone with the four-seam and throws his meh slider in the mid-80s, then he’s got a curve, sinker, and splitter. The sinker really busts righties on the hands and profiles as his best pitch, so he’ll need that to work because his breaking stuff is pretty mediocre.
As you might expect, left-handed batters have done most of the damage against him this year, posting an .807 OPS and hitting all four of the homers he’s allowed. Might be time for Busch and Bellinger to blast bombs.
First pitch on Apple TV+ and 670 The Score will be at 1:20pm CT.
Today’s #Cubs starting lineup for the series opener against Toronto!
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— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 16, 2024