Cubs' Javier Assad: Strikes out five in no-decision
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Assad did not factor into the decision in a win over the Nationals on Thursday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over five innings. He struck out five.
The Nationals got to Assad early, tagging the right-hander for one run in the opening frame and two more in the third after he allowed hits to three of the first five batters he faced in the inning. The 27-year-old would still manage to get through five frames for the sixth-consecutive outing, though he's now winless over his last three starts. Assad has also posted five strikeouts in each of his last three starts, while Thursday's start marked the first time in his last four outings that he didn't walk multiple batters.
Bellinger went 2-for-4 with three RBI in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Nationals.
Bellinger was one of four Chicago hitters with multiple hits, and he paced the team with the three RBI. While the 29-year-old has taken a step back from last season, when he recorded 23 home runs and 97 RBI to go with an .881 OPS, he's still been fairly effective in 2024. Bellinger has 18 long balls this year, and he's now up to 73 RBI and a .767 OPS. His fantasy stock may be slightly reduced heading into 2025, but he's still a talented offensive player with plenty of upside.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Goes deep in win
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Suzuki went 2-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Nationals.
Suzuki blasted his 21st home run of the season in the third inning, which pushed him past his previous career best of 20 that he set last year. The outfielder needs five more RBI and runs scored to set new career highs in those categories as well. On top of that, Suzuki has recorded a career-high 15 stolen bases, making it a productive fantasy campaign overall for the 30-year-old.
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Cubs' Dansby Swanson: Big effort in Thursday's win
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Swanson went 3-for-4 with four runs scored in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Nationals.
The four runs in a game are easily a season high for Swanson, as his previous best was two runs, which he did on several occasions. The shortstop has been solid this month with a .319 batting average, three home runs, 10 RBI and 19 runs scored through 17 games. Swanson should continue to see regular playing time as the Cubs try to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
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Cubs' Ian Happ: Collects three more hits Thursday
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Happ went 3-for-5 with two runs scored in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Nationals.
Happ went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's game, but before that he had hits in six straight contests, and he got back into a groove on Thursday. The veteran outfielder has already set or tied career highs with 25 home runs and 85 RBI this season, and his OPS is sitting above .800 for the first time since 2020. Happ has also played in 146 games so far, putting him within reach of the 150-game plateau for the third straight year, which is a testament to his durability.
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Cubs' Porter Hodge: Bounces back to secure save
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Hodge worked around a hit and walk to pitch a clean ninth inning and record the save in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Nationals.
Hodge made things interesting by putting the two runners on, but unlike his last appearance on Saturday when he blew a save, the righty shut the door this time around. While Hodge is only 6-for-9 in save opportunities, the rookie has been mostly excellent overall with a 2.03 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 48 strikeouts across 40 innings this year. The 23-year-old should remain Chicago's closer for the final nine games of the regular season, and his outlook is bright for 2025 and beyond.
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Cubs' Julian Merryweather: Surgery scheduled
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Merryweather will undergo surgery on his right knee Friday, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.
Merryweather has been on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Iowa since last Friday, during which he's thrown two scoreless innings while striking out three batters and walking one. However, his attempt at a return this season will be put to an abrupt end, as he's elected to undergo surgery to address the tendinitis in his knee. A recovery timeline will likely emerge after the 32-year-old goes under the knife.
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Cubs' Michael Busch: Sitting down Thursday
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Busch isn't in the Cubs' lineup for Thursday's game against the Nationals.
After going 1-for-10 with an RBI and four strikeouts during Chicago's previous series against Oakland, Busch will take a seat to begin the Cubs' four-game set with Washington. Patrick Wisdom will cover first base in his stead and bat sixth.
Pearson (2-2) allowed two runs on four hits across 1.1 innings of relief to take the loss Wednesday against the Athletics. He struck out one.
Pearson continued his recent struggles, as he gave up runs for the third straight outing, and this was the worst appearance of the bunch. The righty has seen his ERA creep up to 4.76, and he's simply been too volatile to be trusted in most fantasy formats. Pearson will continue to have a role for the Cubs out of the bullpen as the regular season wraps up, though he should mostly see low-leverage work.
Merryweather (knee) made his second rehab appearance at Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, striking out one and giving up no hits and one walk over a scoreless inning.
Merryweather was placed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 27 with right knee tendinitis but was cleared to begin a rehab assignment last weekend. Assuming he checked out fine coming out of his second outing Tuesday, Merryweather could rejoin the Chicago bullpen for the team's four-game series with the Nationals that begins Thursday.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Limited workload in return
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Steele came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the A's, allowing two hits and three walks over 2.2 scoreless innings. He struck out one.
Activated from the IL earlier in the day after completing his recovery from elbow tendinitis, Steele wasn't fully stretched out and tossed 57 pitches (37 strikes) before being lifted. The 29-year-old lefty has had trouble staying healthy this season, but through 130.2 innings he's delivered a strong 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 132:37 K:BB. With the Cubs teetering on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs, they could shuffle their rotation as their focus turns to 2025, but Steele is currently scheduled to make his next start on the road early next week against the Phillies.
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Cubs' Hayden Wesneski: Nearing activation
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Wesneski (forearm) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Sept. 6 and has given up three earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven across five innings over his four appearances.
After throwing two scoreless innings for Iowa on Tuesday, Wesneski could be on the cusp of activation from the 15-day injured list. According to Ryan Herrera of AllCHGO.com, Wesneski was spotted in the Cubs' clubhouse Wednesday, which suggests his rehab assignment has come to an end. Once he's formally reinstated, Wesneski will likely serve as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen.
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Cubs' Jorge Lopez: Returns from IL
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The Cubs activated Lopez (groin) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Lopez spent the minimum 15 days on the IL with a strained right groin. The veteran reliever had been in the closer mix before getting hurt and should regain a high-leverage role, although Porter Hodge still looks like the better bet for saves in the Cubs' bullpen.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Heads back to Triple-A
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The Cubs optioned Palencia to Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Just one day after being called up from Triple-A, Palencia will return to Iowa with the Cubs needing to open up a spot on the 28-man active roster for lefty Justin Steele (elbow), who will return from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Athletics. Palencia struck out two over two perfect innings out of the bullpen in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to Oakland.
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Cubs' Jack Neely: Sent back to Triple-A
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The Cubs optioned Neely to Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Neely will give up his spot in the Chicago bullpen to right-hander Jorge Lopez (groin), who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move. Through six appearances at the big-league level this season, Neely has given up six earned runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out seven over six innings.
