Kevin Gausman is about to get his first look in a Cubs uniform, and Chicago is banking on the veteran right-hander to fit right in.
Gausman is expected to debut Friday night when the Cubs visit the Kansas City Royals, with Chicago going for its fifth straight win. The move comes after the Cubs acquired him from Toronto on Sunday for two minor leaguers, a deal shaped as much by Gausman’s track record as by his uneven season.
The 35-year-old has had a tough year on paper, going 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 starts for the Blue Jays. But he also delivered 11 quality starts and closed his Toronto stint by allowing one run on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals last Saturday.
For the Cubs, the appeal is obvious. They’re sitting on top of the National League wild-card standings and are 33-15 since June 11 despite a pitching staff hit hard by injuries. That makes a pitcher with Gausman’s mileage and postseason background a particularly useful add.
"He's been a durable, battle-tested starter that really fits," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.
The timing also gives Gausman a chance to settle in against a Royals lineup he has handled well before. He owns a 2-3 record and a 3.25 ERA in six career starts against Kansas City.
"I'm on a new team that's playing great right now and has high aspirations," Gausman told Sportsnet. "Hopefully, I can be a part of it."
Chicago chose not to throw him against his old club Thursday, when the Cubs beat Toronto 3-2 in 11 innings. Instead, Gausman will make his first Cubs appearance in a matchup with a Royals team that has struggled overall but has been tough to beat at home lately.
Kansas City sits last in the AL Central, yet has dropped only two of its last 11 home games. Its latest home loss came Thursday, a 4-3 defeat to Minnesota.
Bobby Witt Jr. remained a bright spot in that loss, collecting three hits and scoring twice. He has picked up right where he left off after returning from a two-week injured list stint with low-back tightness, going 6-for-12 in three games since coming back.
Witt has also given the Cubs trouble. He is batting .324 with a homer and six RBIs in eight games against Chicago, and he is 5-for-15 with two home runs against Gausman.
Kansas City’s pitching plans took another hit when Luinder Avila suffered a season-ending elbow injury, forcing the club to turn to Daniel Lynch IV for Friday’s start. Lynch is 4-2 with a 1.96 ERA in 46 relief appearances this season, and he’ll make his first start of 2026, along with his first career appearance against the Cubs.
The left-hander has been solid in relief, but his starting record tells a different story: he is 11-23 with a 5.19 ERA in 56 career starts from 2021-25.
"He's been a starter before and, obviously, he's been really good out of the ‘pen," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "See how far he can get (Friday)."
Lynch’s first assignment will be trying to navigate Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has been rolling for Chicago. The NL MVP contender went 8-for-18 during the Cubs’ three-game sweep of the Dodgers from Monday through Wednesday, then came through again Thursday against Toronto, scoring the winning run on an errant throw while stealing third base.
Alex Bregman has also been locked in for Chicago. He tied Thursday’s game with a two-run homer in the ninth and is batting .370 with two homers and six RBIs over his last 11 games.
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 🡒]