Can pitching carry Cubs? Second time through rotation could be telling
After a rainout and a day off, the Cubs get to reset their season Friday.
Marcus Stroman will take the mound against the Texas Rangers, just like it's Opening Day all over again.
The second trip through the pitching rotation might give us a better idea of where the Cubs stand this season. The first cycle featured excellent outings from Stroman and Justin Steele, then subpar starts from the next three.
The whole idea behind this Cubs season is a strong and potentially deep rotation can give them a chance to win every night. Add some solid defense and decent hitting and maybe a contender is born.
So the first order of business this week is for Stroman and Steele to stay sharp. Jameson Taillon was good in the spring, but maybe nerves got the best of him in his Cubs home debut.
Taillon went 2-2 at Wrigley Field when he pitched for the Pirates. His previous start in the ballpark was one to forget. On April 8, 2019, Taillon lasted just 2 innings and was tagged with the loss, but all 6 runs allowed were unearned. Against the Brewers last week, it was 3 earned runs in 4 innings.
Drew Smyly offers cause for concern because he didn't pitch well in the spring (6.06 ERA), then was blistered for 7 runs and 9 hits in Cincinnati on Monday. Another rough start against Seattle on Monday and the Cubs should consider a trip to the injured list for Smyly so he can figure things out.
Javier Assad should be ready to step into the rotation, in theory. The feeling heading into the season was Kyle Hendricks would be about a month behind as he recovers from a shoulder injury.
Technically, Hayden Wesneski turned in the worst start of his career against the Reds on Tuesday, although it was just start No. 5 for the 25-year-old right-hander.
The offense was a mixed bag in the opening week. Three Cubs rank among the top 19 in MLB in OPS - No. 7 Ian Happ (1.359), No. 9 Patrick Wisdom (1.319) and No. 19 Dansby Swanson 1.183).
Wisdom could be a wild card. So far, he's shown the same traits he did in the spring, more contact and fewer strikeouts. Two years ago, Wisdom was a 29-year-old rookie. No one was certain if there was still room for improvement, but a player who's stuck it out this long in pro baseball is bound to keep working.
The Cubs will be anxious to see which direction Cody Bellinger heads. After going 0-for-11 at the plate against the Brewers, Bellinger hit a 3-run homer, then had a 3-for-5 game in Cincinnati.
While injured outfielder Seiya Suzuki (oblique) could be ready to start a minor league rehab stint soon, the Cubs are showing no shortage of offense at Triple A Iowa. Matt Mervis, Nelson Velazquez and Brennen Davis hit home runs Thursday against St. Paul, with Mervis notching a grand slam.
Christopher Morel went 3-for-5 with a double and go-ahead 2-run single in the ninth inning as Iowa rallied to win 12-11.
Texas Rangers free agent addition ace Jacob deGrom pitched Wednesday, so the Cubs won't face him this weekend. Nathan Eovaldi is scheduled to start against Stroman on Friday, followed by Martin Perez and Jon Gray.
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