Today’s Reflections
Something is starting to feel familiar. Familiar, but different.
The Cubs’ bats are starting to come into form once again. That was proven in the games from Monday and Tuesday. Six batters in the Cubs’ starting lineup Monday had hits, with Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki, Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong with a pair each, in the 3-2 walk-off win. Suzuki had the game-winning hit.
Then on Tuesday, every hitter in the starting lineup (even Kevin Alcantara!) had at least one hit. Suzuki and Carson Kelly each had a pair. Two of Swanson’s three hits were home runs, two of the five homers on the team.
But Shota Imanaga, who picked up the win Monday with 6.1 strong innings, is the only starter from the Opening Day roster that has not been injured. Matthew Boyd recently returned from the IL and had a bend-but-not-break outing Tuesday. And five of the OD bullpen members are on the IL, plus Colin Rea was an emergency move into the rotation.
While having a patchwork pitching staff, the Cubs have won 10 of their last 12 games. Yes, it’s another streak for the Cubs. But instead of the shocking runs from early in the season, where the feeling was, “Is this real?!!! Who cares — Let’s keep going, whoo!!”, the feeling is, “Is this ….. real?? When is it going to fall apart? When will the pitching injuries take a permanent toll on the team? Well, let’s keep going and see.” Not to be a downer here, but I feel there is definitely a stronger feeling of caution than there was in April and early May. Rightfully so.
*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.
Tuesday’s game stories:
- Scott Held (Chicago Tribune {$}): Dansby Swanson hits 2 of Chicago Cubs’ 5 HRs in 9-7 win over the San Diego Padres. “Alex Bregman, Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong added home runs to help the Cubs win for the 10th time in 12 games.”
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.con): Swanson homers twice as Cubs win slugfest over Padres. “There are nights when Wrigley Field transforms into a hitter’s haven and teams understand that piling up runs is not only the goal, but required to find the win column.”
- Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): Change of strategy: Cubs belt 5 home runs, hang on to beat Padres. “The Cubs were ready to begin a new chapter Tuesday.”
- Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs’ Alex Bregman downplays thumbs-down gestures after homering at Wrigley for 1st time since March. “Chicago Cubs’ Alex Bregman didn’t have any interest in providing insight into his post-home run thumbs-down gestures.”
Monday’s game stories:
- Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Another Wrigley walk-off: Injuries aren’t keeping Cubs from winning while attempting to weather storm. “Seiya Suzuki delivered the latest game-winning thrill at Wrigley Field, the Cubs’ 10th walk-off win of the season, keeping the victories coming while the team deals with an ever-increasing mountain of injuries.”
- Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki power the Chicago Cubs to an MLB-leading 10th walk-off victory. “Imanaga held the Padres to two runs on nine hits and four strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings without walking a batter or allowing a home run on a humid, hot night at Wrigley Field.”
Assorted stories:
- Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Walk of life: Cubs’ patience at plate paying off as offense heats back up after monthlong slump. “The Cubs are baseball’s walk kings, leading the majors in that category, getting improved on-base numbers all over the lineup and taking to shouting out free passes with as much gusto as complimenting home runs.”
- Evan Sullivan (Cubs Insider): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Explosive June Puts Him Alongside Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig. “Pete Crow-Armstrong nearly lapped the field in June, posting a 3.1 fWAR mark that left Detroit’s Dillon Dingler (1.8) in the dust. The numbers Crow-Armstrong generated are so outlandish that they’ve only been replicated in four other months by two players.”
- Michael Canter (Cubs Insider): The Rundown: Power Surge Propels Cubs Toward Potential Sweep, Nothing Imminent on Trade Front, Mets Expect to Make Sweeping Changes. “Chicago’s North Side Baseballers have an opportunity to complete the sweep while simultaneously treating us to day baseball on what should be a beautiful summer afternoon.”
- Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs News: Ethan Conrad debuts, Vince Velasquez elects free agency, Pete Crow-Armstrong home run derby. “With the 2026 MLB Draft a little over a week away, the Chicago Cubs’ 2025 first-round draft pick has finally made his professional debut.”
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: Craig Counsell downplays the Chicago Cubs’ many challenges, but he was hired to solve problems. “This might be Counsell’s most challenging season as manager, though he won’t consider the possibility and isn’t interested in comparisons.”
- Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): Cubs are hurting, but they’re also showing their mettle during a challenging time. “The Cubs picked up their 10th walk-off win of the season when Seiya Suzuki drove in Pete Crow-Armstrong with a hit off the ivy.”
- Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports.com): Are the Chicago Cubs’ Injuries Becoming Their Greatest Concern in 2026? “At this point, it seems like there is someone new is added every day, as the pitching staff has been destroyed. Now, they must find a way to overcome the injuries if they wish to stay competitive.”
Trade Talk:
- Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Jameson Taillon could make injury return before All-Star break, good news for Cubs’ battered pitching staff. “The Cubs are aiming to have Taillon, who’s been out since early June with a hamstring strain, make a rehab start this weekend, potentially setting him up for a return from the IL during the team’s final series of the first half.”
- Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): What we’re hearing about Cubs’ pitching plans: Trade expectations, comebacks and more. “Even as they juggle various pitching injuries, the Cubs are trying to focus on internal solutions until the draft and trade deadline.”
- Eddie Lennon (LastWordOnSports.com): 3 Strong Luis Arraez Trade Destinations. “He doesn’t hit for power. He doesn’t rack up elite exit velocity numbers. He doesn’t overwhelm with highlight-reel tools.”
- Tyler Edmunds (OnTapSportsNet): The Cubs Need to Stop Waiting and Go Get Sonny Gray. “The Chicago Cubs adding Sonny Gray from the Boston Red Sox would make a lot of sense for a team desperately needing pitching help.”
- Eddie Lennon (LastWordOnSports.com): 3 Great Landing Spots for Freddy Peralta. “Peralta still brings exactly what contenders want in October: strikeouts, swing-and-miss stuff, and the ability to shorten games when every inning carries postseason weight.”
Food For Thought:
John Lee Hooker (1917–2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist famous for his hypnotic, driving “boogie” rhythm and deep, gravelly voice. Born into a Mississippi sharecropping family, he pioneered an electric-style adaptation of Delta blues in Detroit. Over a career spanning five decades, he recorded over 100 albums, releasing classics like “Boogie Chillen” and “Boom Boom”.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.