Jordan Wicks gets the ball in his first big-league start of 2026 after the Cubs called him up to replace Edward Cabrera, who hit the 15-day IL with a blister on his middle finger. Wicks was last on a Triple-A Iowa mound Thursday, so he's on regular rest, but "spot starter coming off the I-80 shuttle" is not the matchup advantage you want when your lineup is hitting .203 over the past month.
Braxton Ashcraft, meanwhile, is the kind of arm a slumping team does not want to see. He carved up the Cardinals on May 21 for 7 innings and 9 strikeouts, and the underlying numbers — 2.89 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 65:16 K:BB through 11 starts — say it isn't smoke. A Cubs lineup already missing Matt Shaw is going to have to grind out at-bats it hasn't been grinding out lately.
- Day-To-DayBrandon Birdsell (RP) — Birdsell (elbow) will miss the entire 2026 season, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayJeff Brigham (RP) — Brigham was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A St. Paul, retroactive to April 6, with a left oblique strain, TwinsDaily.com reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayJaxon Wiggins (SP) — Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Wiggins was placed on Triple-A Iowa's 7-day injured list Wednesday due to right elbow inflammation, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILMatt Shaw (RF) — Shaw went 3-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Padres.05/22
- 15-Day-ILEdward Cabrera (SP) — Cabrera was removed from Wednesday's game against the Brewers with a blister on his right middle finger, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.05/24
- 15-Day-ILMatthew Boyd (SP) — Boyd (knee) is scheduled to throw off a mound Saturday and is on track for a full bullpen session next week, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/15
- 15-Day-ILRiley Martin (RP) — Martin has been diagnosed with flexor strain in his left elbow and is expected to miss eight weeks, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILHunter Harvey (RP) — The Cubs moved Harvey (triceps) from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL on Sunday.05/17
- 60-Day-ILJustin Steele (SP) — Manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Steele's (elbow) setback will keep him sidelined until after the All-Star break, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILPorter Hodge (RP) — The Cubs transferred Hodge (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILShelby Miller (RP) — The Cubs placed Miller (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILCade Horton (SP) — The Cubs transferred Horton (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILTyler Austin (1B) — The Cubs placed Austin (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
- Day-To-DayAnthony Solometo (SP) — Solometo is sidelined at Double-A Altoona with recurring left shoulder discomfort, Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayOddanier Mosqueda (RP) — Mosqueda will not throw for a couple weeks due to left forearm inflammation, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayMike Clevinger (RP) — Clevinger is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after being diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.05/08
- Day-To-DaySean Sullivan (SP) — Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Sullivan is battling right elbow soreness, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILRyan O'Hearn (RF) — O'Hearn (quadriceps) worked out in the outfield ahead of Monday's game against the Cubs, MLB.com reports.05/26
- 10-Day-ILJoey Bart (C) — Manager Don Kelly said Bart, who is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rockies, is "banged up," Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.05/12
- 15-Day-ILChris Devenski (RP) — Devenski (illness) was cleared to resume all baseball activities last week and began throwing bullpen sessions May 13, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.05/21
- 60-Day-ILJared Jones (SP) — General manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Jones (elbow) will return to Pittsburgh and throw a bullpen session Tuesday before the Pirates determine whether he'll return from the 60-day injured list during the upcoming week, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.05/24
The market sees it. Pittsburgh is the moneyline favorite at home and the run-line splits at DK tell the bettors-vs-money story you usually see when the public is chasing a slumping name brand. Pinnacle has the Pirates at -122 with a fair win probability north of 53%, and the total sits in that classic 8 to 8.5 no-man's-land where books are basically begging you to pick a side.
This is a get-right spot on paper — Pirates are 28-26, the Cubs still have the better roster, and Wicks has nothing to lose on a fresh slate. But you have to actually hit the baseball at some point. Until that happens, picking the Cubs to snap a 9-game streak against a pitcher running a sub-3 ERA is a leap of faith, not a read.