Pete Crow-Armstrong is the engine making this Cubs lineup genuinely dangerous. Since moving to the leadoff spot on May 23, he has posted a 1.182 OPS — the best mark in baseball in that span. Over an 18-game stretch that OptaSTATS says has never been matched in MLB's modern era, he put up 34 hits, 9 home runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 stolen bases. He hit for the cycle on June 15. At 24 years old he is playing like the best player in the NL right now, and San Diego has to figure that out with Sears in only his 2nd start of the year.
- 10-Day-ILLuis Campusano (C) — Campusano (toe) will embark on a rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso later this week, Annie Heilbrunn of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.06/29
- 15-Day-ILDavid Morgan (RP) — The Padres recalled Morgan from Triple-A El Paso on Friday.06/29
- 15-Day-ILGerman Marquez (SP) — Marquez (forearm) will make another rehab start with Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.06/29
- 15-Day-ILMatt Waldron (SP) — Waldron (forearm) struck out four and allowed two earned runs on two hits and four walks across 2.2 innings Thursday in a rehab start with Triple-A El Paso.06/29
- 15-Day-ILLucas Giolito (SP) — Giolito was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Monday, with right elbow inflammation.06/23
- 15-Day-ILJeremiah Estrada (RP) — Estrada (2-2) picked up the loss after giving up the eventual game-winning run in a 3-2 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday.06/05
- OutYu Darvish (SP) — Darvish (elbow) revealed Tuesday in a social media post that he has resumed playing catch.05/12
- 60-Day-ILNick Pivetta (SP) — Pivetta (forearm) threw a light bullpen session Saturday, MLB.com reports.06/29
- 60-Day-ILJoe Musgrove (SP) — Musgrove (elbow) started playing catch in late May, per MLB.com.06/08
- 60-Day-ILRamon Laureano (LF) — Laureano underwent surgery Friday to repair his torn right labrum, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.06/05
- 60-Day-ILBryan Hoeing (RP) — The Padres transferred Hoeing (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08
- Day-To-DayJaxon Wiggins (SP) — The Cubs announced Wednesday that Wiggins (elbow) has resumed throwing bullpen sessions and facing hitters at the organization's complex in Arizona and could soon be ready to pitch in games, MLB.com reports.06/13
- Day-To-DayBrandon Birdsell (RP) — Birdsell (elbow) will miss the entire 2026 season, Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILMatt Shaw (RF) — The Cubs placed Shaw on the 10-day injured list Monday due to a sprained left hand, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.06/29
- 15-Day-ILEthan Roberts (RP) — The Cubs placed Roberts on the 15-day injured list Monday due to right forearm inflammation.06/29
- 15-Day-ILDaniel Palencia (RP) — Palencia (elbow) is progressing in his rehab from elbow tendinitis, but he won't be activated from the injured list until after the All-Star break, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.06/28
- 15-Day-ILHoby Milner (RP) — Milner (abdomen) will be sidelined 4-to-6 weeks after undergoing emergency appendectomy surgery on Friday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.06/27
- 15-Day-ILJameson Taillon (SP) — Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that there's a chance Taillon (hamstring) will return from the injured list before the All-Star break, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.06/27
- 15-Day-ILPhil Maton (RP) — The Cubs placed Maton (knee) on the 15-day injured list Friday with a right knee injury, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.06/26
- 15-Day-ILBen Brown (RP) — Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Thursday that Brown has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his neck and will have limited activity for the next month, 104.3 The Score reports.06/25
- 15-Day-ILEdward Cabrera (SP) — Cabrera was diagnosed with a moderate-grade left hamstring strain Wednesday following an MRI and is without a return timeline, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.06/24
- 15-Day-ILRiley Martin (RP) — The Cubs announced June 10 that Martin (elbow) has resumed playing catch, MLB.com reports.06/22
- 60-Day-ILJustin Steele (SP) — Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Tuesday in a radio appearance that he doesn't expect Steele (elbow) to rejoin the major-league rotation this season, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.06/23
- 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-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
Sears gets this start entirely because the Padres have no one else healthy — Darvish, Musgrove, Pivetta, Giolito, Marquez, and Waldron are all on the injured list. If Sears pitches well enough to lock down a rotation spot, great; if not, San Diego is going to be stitching together a staff for the next month. The Cubs are also battered on the mound — Steele is done for the year, Horton and Cabrera are both out — which is why they went and acquired David Peterson from the Mets on June 25. Both teams are working with a patchwork rotation, but Chicago has the lineup depth and the walk-off pedigree to make one-run games go their way. San Diego needs Sears to be better than anyone is expecting him to be.