Chicago Cubs turn to veteran Kevin Gausman — whose shoulder feels ‘good enough’ — to start in must-win Game 2
SAN DIEGO — Six days ago, Kevin Gausman faced uncertainty surrounding whether he would be available to pitch for the Chicago Cubs in the wild-card series.
The left shoulder injury Gausman sustained during his final regular-season start last week while making a diving tag at third base did not feel great the following day. The Cubs tried to give the 35-year-old ample time to recover before turning to Gausman for the Game 2 start Wednesday night facing elimination against the San Diego Padres.
As for how his shoulder feels now, “We’re gonna find out,” Gausman said Tuesday following the Cubs’ ugly 8-0 Game 1 loss.
“It feels all right, good enough to go out there and give it everything I got,” he said. “So that’s what I’m gonna do.”
As for how his shoulder feels now, “We’re gonna find out,” Gausman said Tuesday following the Cubs’ ugly 8-0 Game 1 loss.
“It feels all right, good enough to go out there and give it everything I got,” he said. “So that’s what I’m gonna do.”
This certainly isn’t an ideal setup with the Cubs going into a must-win game and Gausman not 100% healthy. But it’s what the Cubs are working with at this point.
These moments are why the Cubs wanted to acquire the battle-tested veteran at the trade deadline.
And given the circumstances, if his outing isn’t trending well early, manager Craig Counsell has multiple options he can turn to in an all-hands-on-deck reality with the season on the line. Those choices might include right-hander Clay Holmes, who pitched out of the bullpen the first seven years of his career until signing with the New York Mets as a starter before the 2025 season, or left-handers David Peterson and Shota Imanaga. High-leverage arms Daniel Palencia and Ryan Zeferjahn are also well rested.
It all starts Wednesday with Gausman.
This certainly isn’t an ideal setup with the Cubs going into a must-win game and Gausman not 100% healthy. But it’s what the Cubs are working with at this point.
These moments are why the Cubs wanted to acquire the battle-tested veteran at the trade deadline.
And given the circumstances, if his outing isn’t trending well early, manager Craig Counsell has multiple options he can turn to in an all-hands-on-deck reality with the season on the line. Those choices might include right-hander Clay Holmes, who pitched out of the bullpen the first seven years of his career until signing with the New York Mets as a starter before the 2025 season, or left-handers David Peterson and Shota Imanaga. High-leverage arms Daniel Palencia and Ryan Zeferjahn are also well rested.
It all starts Wednesday with Gausman.
Gausman threw a pregame bullpen Tuesday to test how he felt, and believes his left shoulder held up well enough to allow him to make adjustments when he needed to.
“I mean, he’s been great every since I’ve been teammates with him and just seeing the success he’s had in the past — he’s been in moments like this before,” catcher Carson Kelly said Tuesday. “So we’re going to rely on him and give it our all.”
mmontemurro@chicagotribune.com