Taillon (4-3) earned the win against the Mets on Saturday, allowing one run on six hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts over seven innings.
Taillon was excellent Saturday, with a solo home run by Francisco Alvarez in the fifth inning being his only blemish. He generated an impressive 15 swinging strikes on 93 pitches and notched a season-high 10 punchouts. Taillon has logged three consecutive quality starts and now owns a 2.90 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 53:16 K:BB over 68.1 innings this season. The 32-year-old lines up for a start against the Giants next week.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Active early in win
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Suzuki went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 8-1 win over the Mets.
Suzuki opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning then stole second and scored in the same frame. He later added a double in the fifth. Suzuki is slashing .292/.395/.523 with seven-multi hit efforts in 65 June at-bats. The 29-year-old is contributing a bit of everything this season, slashing .269/.347/.461 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, 27 runs scored and seven steals through 197 at-bats.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Homers, drives in two in win
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Morel went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 8-1 win over the Mets.
Morel hit an RBI single in the first inning then crushed a 446-foot solo home run in the third. Morel's .209 average so far in June is actually his highest of any month this season, and the homer was his fourth in 19 June games. The 24-year-old is hitting just .202 to date but does have 14 home runs and 43 RBI over 267 at-bats in 2024.
Amaya isn't in the Cubs' lineup for Saturday's game against the Mets, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Amaya will receive a day off Saturday after tallying a base hit in each of his last three games. His absence will allow Tomas Nido to make his first start behind the plate as a Cub and bat ninth.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Optioned to Triple-A
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The Cubs optioned Little to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Since being recalled from the minors May 15, Little has logged a 2.31 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across 11.2 innings while striking out 12 batters and walking 10. Despite the southpaw's overall success, he'll be sent back to Iowa in order to clear room for Keegan Thompson, who returned from the paternity list Saturday.
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Cubs' Keegan Thompson: Returns from paternity leave
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The Cubs reinstated Thompson from the paternity list Saturday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Thompson has been away from the team since Wednesday due to the birth of his son, and he'll now rejoin the Cubs' bullpen ahead of Saturday's game versus the Mets. In order to make room on the roster, Luke Little was optioned to Triple-A Iowa.
Hodge tossed 2.1 scoreless innings in Friday's 11-1 loss to the Mets. He allowed one hit and two walks, while striking out five.
In a game that featured 14 hits and 11 runs for New York, Hodge was a bright spot out of the Chicago bullpen. The rookie set a new career best in strikeouts, and he now has 12 of them across 7.1 innings this season to go along with a strong 2.45 ERA. If Hodge can keep pitching like this, he may see his role expand as the year goes on.
Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Crushed for 10 runs in second loss
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Imanaga (7-2) took the loss to the Mets on Friday, allowing 10 runs on 11 hits and one walk with three strikeouts over three-plus innings.
Imanaga was hit hard early and often, surrendering six runs on three home runs in the first two innings and another run in the third. He was unable to record an out in the fourth frame and was charged with three more runs, resulting in the worst outing of his major-league career. In total, Imanaga allowed 11 hard-hit balls, and the velocity on each of his pitches was at least one mph below his season averages. Imanaga's ERA rose from 1.89 to 2.96 with a 1.10 WHIP and 81:12 K:BB over 79 innings. He'll look to rebound in a matchup with the Giants next week.
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Cubs' Michael Busch: Out against left-hander
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Busch is not in the lineup for Friday's contest against the Mets.
The Mets are sending southpaw Jose Quintana to the bump, which means Busch will begin this one on the bench. Patrick Wisdom is getting the start at first base.
Neris was not used to close out Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Giants, with Colten Brewer getting the save instead.
Neris took the loss and blew a save against the Giants on Monday, allowing three runs (two earned) in an inning of work, and he's allowed a total of seven earned runs over his last three outings. The veteran's ERA has climbed to 4.73 as a result of his recent struggles, and he's blown four saves this year in 14 chances. Chicago manager Craig Counsell said following Monday's game that he didn't plan on making a change at closer, according to James Neveau of Yahoo Sports, but this situation could be fluid. Brewer is at least worth keeping an eye on in the short term.
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Cubs' Colten Brewer: Records first save
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Brewer worked around two walks to pitch a scoreless ninth inning and earn the save in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Giants.
Brewer just returned from the injured list last week and he's possibly already moved up the bullpen hierarchy. Regular closer Hector Neris has allowed seven earned runs over his last three appearances with two blown saves, including in Monday's contest. The veteran Neris may have simply been getting some rest, and there's been no official word that the team is making a change, but this is a situation worth monitoring. Brewer would, of course, see a jump in fantasy value if he starts getting regular save opportunities.
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Cubs' Ian Happ: Goes deep in win
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Happ went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Giants.
Happ has been on a heater recently, as he now has five straight two-hit performances. The outfielder has gone deep three times during the hot streak, giving him nine home runs for the season. Happ won't be able to stay this locked in forever, though fantasy managers should enjoy the production while it lasts.
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Cubs' Dansby Swanson: Goes deep again
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Swanson went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two additional RBI in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Giants.
Swanson went deep for the second straight game against San Francisco, giving him eight home runs for the season. The shortstop is still off to a sluggish start overall with a .214 average and .660 OPS across 64 contests, though his recent form is indicative of the type of upside that Swanson possesses, giving him plenty of fantasy appeal moving forward.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Earns win in return to rotation
Rotowire
Hendricks (1-4) allowed one run on two hits across 5.2 innings to earn the win Wednesday against the Giants. He walked one and struck out eight.
Making his first start since May 17, Hendricks looked sharp, particularly with the season-high eight strikeouts. Since that last start and his shift to the bullpen, the veteran has pitched much better than earlier in the season. Hendricks now has a 2.70 ERA over his last 20 innings pitched, including Wednesday's start. He figures to stick in the rotation for now, and his next appearance is tentatively set for Tuesday against the Giants again, this time on the road.
