The Rundown: Cubs and Rays Reopen Trop, Horton in Chicago for Further Testing, Brewers, Pirates, and Reds Off to Fast Starts
“Two of us wearing raincoats, standing solo in the sun. You and me chasing paper, getting nowhere on our way back home.” – Two of Us by The Beatles
I’ll skip the preamble because I’ve been down bad with the flu since Thursday. I’d say I feel about as miserable as the Cubs’ 4-5 record if I had to quantify it. I could be better, but I suppose I could be a lot worse, too. It happens every April, which makes me hate the month despite the beginning of each baseball season. I sure hope tomorrow brings clearer lungs and sinuses, plus a win over the Rays.
Cubs News & Notes
- The worst news going into Week 3 of the season is the injury Cade Horton suffered on Friday. The Cubs will probably pivot to one of Colin Rea or Ben Brown to fill Horton’s spot in the rotation.
- We should have a little more clarity on the extent of Horton’s injury today or shortly after.
- Adding injury to insult and injury, Matthew Boyd has also been placed on the IL with what the Cubs are calling a left bicep strain. Boyd threw a side session yesterday and reportedly felt good, but he hasn’t bounced back as well as he would have liked. Javier Assad has been recalled and will start for Boyd on Tuesday. (This was an editorial add due to the timing of the IL news)
- If it’s any consolation, Edward Cabrera has been better than advertised across two starts.
- Cabrera held the Guardians to one hit in five effectively wild shutout innings in yesterday’s 1-0 win.
- A less-than-stellar performance by Chicago’s bullpen kept the Cubs from sweeping Cleveland in the nightcap. Shōta Imanaga pitched well enough to win, but a high pitch count forced him to the showers a little early.
- LHP Riley Martin was recalled from Iowa to take Horton’s spot on the roster.
- Seiya Suzuki is expected to rejoin the Cubs on Friday, in case you need a brightener for your afternoon.
- The Brewers and Cardinals are Chicago’s obvious division rivals, but we may soon attach the word “pesky” to the Pirates, too.
- Pete Crow-Armstrong doesn’t see his increased bat speed as a net positive ($), per Sadahev Sharma of The Athletic. The speedy outfielder thinks it’s a result of compensating for being late on fastballs.
- Big league pitchers have made adjustments when facing Moisés Ballesteros, and the mashing DH understands he’s going to have to readjust, too.
- The Cubs’ organization wants your best chocolate chip recipe as part if its 150-year anniversary celebration. I’d like to volunteer as an official taste tester. My kingdom for a half-gallon of Oberweiss milk.
- Today marks Chicago’s third home opener ceremony of the young season. It also marks the Rays’ first appearance at Tropicana Field since September 22, 2024, after Hurricane Milton destroyed the domed stadium.
Ball Four
Happy Easter, Bo Naylor. Mercy, mercy me. I love that the stadium sound engineer immediately played “Green Onions” by Booker T and the MG’s.
"Right in the Easter basket." – Jim Deshaies #MLB pic.twitter.com/PmFz1ayIrO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 5, 2026
Central Intelligence
- Milwaukee (7-2): Brewers manager Pat Murphy has reportedly replaced the pocket pancake with the rally tortoise. Have you ever disliked seeing an organization that is so loathsome be so successful?
- Pittsburgh (6-3): Pirates’ starting pitchers haven’t allowed a home run in the first nine games of the 2026 campaign. They haven’t accomplished that feat since 1943.
- Cincinnati (6-3): The Reds are off to a fast start as well, thanks in part to starter Rhett Lowder. The young right-hander has five scoreless outings in his first eight starts, tying a record set by Fernando Valenzuela. Lowder’s career ERA sits at 1.30, the lowest ever for a Reds pitcher with just eight GS on his résumé.
- St. Louis (5-4): The Red Sox sent flamethrowing RHP prospect Patrick Galle to the Cardinals to complete the Sonny Gray trade.
- Chicago (4-5): RHP Jaxon Wiggins is by far the Cubs’ top pitching prospect and headlines a Triple-A Iowa roster with five of the system’s 10 best prospects. Outfielder Kevin Alcántara and second baseman James Triantos are former Top 100 Prospects, while first baseman Jonathon Long and third baseman Pedro Ramírez rank among the Minors’ best at their positions.
How About That!
In a somewhat subjective piece for ESPN, David Schoenfield named the Phillies as the most fun MLB team to watch. The Cubs were ranked eighth, which is becoming a common number throughout today’s Rundown.
I can’t help but think that baseball is going to make Giants manager Tony Vitello earn the league’s good graces. Vitello was ejected from yesterday’s game and is off to a 3-7 start in his professional career.
Well, Vitello has an inkling of his own.
The Brewers are once again defying their preseason odds by winning seven of their first nine games, while outscoring their opponents 60 to 32. Milwaukee is third in the latest power rankings, right behind the Dodgers and Yankees. Make it go away.
Mike Trout is day-to-day and avoided serious injury after being hit by a pitch on his hand.
The White Sox are 3-0 at home for the first time since 2004 after sweeping the Blue Jays this weekend. Is Ozzie Guillén happy yet?
Angels outfielder Jo Adell robbed three home runs from the Mariners on Saturday night, preserving Anaheim’s 1-0 win over Seattle.
Apropos of Nothing
The Cubs were 3-4 last year before turning it around as the weather warmed up and the distraction of a couple of Opening Day ceremonies passed. I think we’ll see a more consistent team once Chicago’s North Side Baseballers return to the Friendly Confines on Friday.
Putting a Dollar Sign on the Muscle
The Cubs may have gotten a bargain when they extended Nico Hoerner. His value would likely have gone up considerably if teams viewed him as a shortstop. I’m not upset with the full NTC either because Hoerner’s strength will always be defense, so he should age well.
Extra Innings
Alcántara has four homers in eight games and plays solid defense, but the Cubs don’t have any better outfield options than Matt Shaw and Michael Conforto.
The Jag gets ahold of one! 2-0 I-Cubs in the third! 🐻 pic.twitter.com/wcTIcsYDmv
— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) April 5, 2026
They Said It
- “I [feel] like I do everything the right way to try and stay healthy, and things pop up. Just have to deal with them and move on. I’ve been in this spot before, and I’ve taken the other route, where I keep going. And then it ends up being worse. So, just try to make a mature decision and end it there.” – Horton
- “You don’t replace people like Cade. But we feel like, at least next time through, we’re gonna have — whoever starts will be a strong option. Then, we’ll go from there.” – Craig Counsell
- “I think it’s bad habits leading to that. If I’m late on heaters, then I’m going to be swinging harder because I feel like I gotta catch up. If I was just on time and taking my normal swing, I’d probably not be swinging as hard.” – Crow-Armstrong
- “We saw this last year, too. At the very beginning of the year, [Pete’s] bat speeds were through the roof. And then they tapered down. Actually, in his best stretch, they were a little bit lower than they were at the start.” – Dustin Kelly
Monday Walk-Up Song
There’s not a lot to brag about if one-hit wonder Blues Image is the best band to call Tampa Bay its home. I suppose the retirees enjoy them, however.
