The Cubs arrive in Kansas City with plenty of momentum and a lineup that looks a little different again as they try to stretch a four-game winning streak into five.
Chicago opened this run with a sweep of the Dodgers after the trade deadline, then followed it up with a late comeback against the Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon. Pete Crow-Armstrong has been right in the middle of it all. He launched two homers in the finale against Los Angeles, then scored the walk-off run in extras against Toronto.
Now the question is whether he can keep that late-season push for NL MVP rolling against the Royals.
Chicago will send Kevin Gausman out for his Cubs debut, making him the first big-name addition from the deadline to join an injury-thinned rotation. The club is betting a new environment can help him settle in.
Gausman’s season in Toronto wasn’t a disaster, but it also wasn’t the kind of year that usually comes with top billing. He carries a 4.38 ERA, is 5-10, and his strikeout rate has dipped. His offspeed pitches have also been hit more often than they have in the past.
Still, the underlying profile has not disappeared. Gausman’s four-seamer remains a real weapon, and he pairs it with a split finger that has an individual whiff rate of nearly 40.0 percent. When he’s right, he’s all command and ugly swings.
The Royals are countering with Daniel Lynch IV, who will make his first start of the season after working exclusively out of the bullpen. He’s been excellent in relief, posting a 1.96 ERA with a ground ball rate of 51.5 percent.
That said, a starting role brings a different kind of challenge. The Cubs could have a chance to press that adjustment tonight.
Lynch does have prior starting experience, though. He began his career in that role with Kansas City in 2021 before moving to the bullpen in 2024.
Chicago’s lineup also gets a few tweaks. The Cubs have been willing to bat Carson Kelly cleanup against lefties, but Michael Busch gets that spot tonight. Kelly drops to seventh, Nico Hoerner stays fifth, and Ian Happ moves to sixth.
Pedro Ramírez is back in the lineup as well after sitting out of the starting nine in back-to-back games. He last appeared in Game 2 against the Dodgers at third base, but this time he’ll handle DH duties.
Hoerner is another name worth watching. Over his last seven games, he is hitting .308/.333/.577 with 8 hits and 4 RBIs. He isn’t the only Cubs bat finding rhythm, but when Hoerner is getting on base, Chicago tends to look like a different offense.
The Cubs and Royals meet at Kauffman Stadium with first pitch set for 7:10 PM CT. The game will be on Marquee Sports Network, with radio coverage on 104.3 The Score, TUDN, WPPN 106.7 and TUDN.
In Other News...
Royals Put Daniel Lynch IV In A Spot That Could Change Plans
In a pitching staff that has been stretched by injuries, the Royals are turning to a familiar arm in a new role. Daniel Lynch IV, who has been a steady left-handed reliever this season, is moving into the starting rotation beginning with the game against the Cubs, giving Kansas City a chance to see whether his past experience as a starter can help shore up a need that has opened up in the rotation.
Manager Matt Quatraro framed the move as a response to the roster reality in front of him, and it puts Lynch in a spot that could influence how the club lines up over the coming weeks. For the Royals, this is more than a spot start, because any success there could reshape how they balance their bullpen and rotation depth while the injury picture remains in flux. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Bullpen Depth Just Took Another Hit With Aaron Bummer
The Royals bullpen shuffle took another turn when the club recalled Mason Black and optioned Aaron Bummer to Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Bummer, a veteran left-hander with prior stops in Atlanta and Chicago, had been in the mix as Kansas City tried to piece together relief innings, a task that has become more important as the season has worn on.
But the transaction did not end with a simple demotion. Because Bummer has enough service time to decline a minor league assignment, his status now adds another layer to a relief group that could use stability, and the Royals are left sorting through depth options again after giving him a brief look this season. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Just Got One More Problem In A Crucial Cubs Series
The Royals road trip just picked up another layer of difficulty as they prepare to open a key series in Chicago. The Cubs have added Kevin Gausman to their pitching staff after dealing for the veteran right-hander from Toronto, a move designed to help them navigate a rotation hit by injuries and give Craig Counsell another experienced arm to lean on.
Gausman and Counsell both sounded upbeat about how quickly the fit could come together, which only adds to the challenge for Kansas City as it tries to keep pace in a meaningful weekend set. The timing matters, too, with Gausman expected to step right into the spotlight in his new uniform against the Royals, giving Chicago a fresh look on the mound at exactly the moment Kansas City could have used a softer landing. [Read more 🡒]