Chicago Cubs Lineup (5/26/24): Assad Starting

I’m enjoying a long Memorial Day weekend at a cabin in central Michigan, so the Cubs aren’t renting prime real estate in my head. Their recent play has a role in that as well. That’s a good thing for my relaxation but terrible for anyone who’s depending on baseball as part of their own enjoyment.

That’s just my way of excusing myself from doing anything of note here. Javier Assad has been quite notable with a 4-0 record and sparkling 1.70 ERA, so maybe he’ll keep the Cardinals at bay long enough for the offense to build a lead the bullpen can actually protect.

This is where I’d normally put the lineup, but they haven’t released it yet and I’m not waiting around. With the Indy 500 starting late, I’m about to watch a bunch of cars turn left over and over rather than focusing on baseball. Good luck, Cubs.

They’re facing Sonny Gray, who’s been better than ever through eight starts. His strikeout rate is at a career-best 31.2% and his 5.3% walk rate is likewise better than ever, which is interesting because none of his pitches seem to be generating a great deal of value. The curveball is really good and he picks up a lot of called strikes because he locates it in the zone with great frequency.

Gray is a strike-thrower who’s been around long enough to be confident in his ability to beat hitters even if they aren’t chasing, so perhaps the Cubs can take advantage of that. First pitch is at 6:10pm CT on ESPN Sunday Night baseball, but you can also listen on 670 The Score.