Chicago Cubs’ wild-card rotation plans in flux as they monitor Gausman’s left shoulder injury

The final day of the regular season Sunday will bring clarity to the Chicago Cubs on multiple levels.

Beyond solidifying where and whom they face in their best-of-three wild-card series scheduled to begin Tuesday, the Cubs’ pitching plans for the opening round are expected to come together. The biggest question surrounds the status of right-hander Kevin Gausman.

Gausman’s wild-card status might hinge on how he feels in an important bullpen he is scheduled to throw Sunday at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida. The veteran departed Wednesday’s start in the sixth inning after suffering a left shoulder injury while making a stellar diving tag on a Miami Marlins base runner trying to advance to an uncovered third base. Gausman hit the ground hard on the play and immediately felt weakness in his left shoulder, which he dislocated in high school.

The Cubs are continuing to monitor Gausman, who has not undergone any imaging on his shoulder, manager Craig Counsell said before Friday’s doubleheader in Boston. Gausman played catch Friday and was still feeling sore, so “we’ve got to keep monitoring that,” Counsell said, adding that Sunday will be a “big day” to gauge the right-hander’s readiness.

“Don’t worry about who’s going to start, worry about how we’re going to get 27 outs,” Counsell said of their postseason pitching plans. “Really, that’s the biggest thing we’ve got to get through, and we need guys to throw the ball well to do that.”

Gausman’s performance hasn’t been as consistent lately, alternating between good and rough outings, but the 35-year-old is coming off back-to-back starts pitching into the sixth inning and allowing two runs in each. His experience, especially coming off a postseason run to the World Series last year with the Toronto Blue Jays, would be valuable to the Cubs.

Gausman, though, didn’t sound optimistic Thursday about his readiness for the start of the playoffs.

“The next two days are pretty important to be honest, try to get back to a little bit of normalcy, but we’ll see,” Gausman said. “Kind of doubt we’ll be ready next week. I don’t know. I’m not going to make that judgment now. But I’ll do everything I can to be ready for whenever I’m asked to be ready. I can guarantee that.

“Honestly, I’ve been very lucky over the course of my career that I’ve been so healthy. So, yeah, it is frustrating.”

Although it’s his nonthrowing left shoulder ailing him, Gausman explained it’s important to the fluidity of his delivery, especially with his larger-than-normal mitt.

“I try to keep my front side as strong as I possibly can,” Gausman said. “Really try to grip the crap out of my glove and use that as leverage to kind of pull myself down and bring my other arm through. I mean, it’s never ideal when you have anything upper body, but we have a great training staff here.

“This game just always kind of throws a wrench into whatever you think going into a game like, especially this time of year. I mean, it’s crazy. You could play 162 games. It always comes down to the last couple, kind of mind-blowing. So, with that, I’m going to do everything I can to be ready for whenever that is.”

If Gausman ultimately isn’t available in the wild-card round or at least for a Game 1 start, the Cubs could turn to left-hander Matthew Boyd. Shota Imanaga also could be an option in some capacity, depending on whether they use him in Sunday’s regular-season finale. Right-hander Clay Holmes is lined up to be an option for Game 2 on Wednesday or, if necessary, the decisive Game 3 on Thursday. Left-hander David Peterson has been pitching well, too, and likely will factor into Counsell’s “out-getter” playoff plans, even if it means using him out of the bullpen.

The Cubs are preparing for a variety of scenarios for the rotation.

“This is the time of year where you’ve got to be on your best, and as you come down the stretch as a starter, you don’t necessarily know if you’re going to be starting or coming out of the bullpen in the playoffs, so I think it’s just trying to get your stuff as sharp as possible, be at your best going into it,” Peterson said after his start Friday night. “It’s a good problem to have to make tough decisions, and I think that’s our job is just give everything we have, put the team from a starting position in a good spot and all hands on deck.”