Chicago Cubs Roster
- NL Central
- Stadium
- Wrigley Field
Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki went yard in Wednesday's win over the Atlanta Braves on the road, adding a double in the victory. Suzuki's homer came as an insurance run in the eighth inning off Braves right-hander Jesse Chavez, traveling 433 feet to deep center. It's been a great first quarter of the year for the 29-year-old slugger, who's slashing .280/.337/.488 with four big flies, 15 RBI, 15 runs scored, and one stolen base across 92 plate appearances (20 games) as Chicago's everyday right fielder. A four-game series with the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates is on deck starting on Thursday. Over 15 games versus the Pirates since 2023, Suzuki is hitting .323 with one tater, seven doubles, 12 RBI, and 12 runs scored and will be a set-and-forget fantasy option.
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad stifled the Atlanta Braves for six sharp innings of four-hit baseball on Wednesday. Assad got the win, bringing his record to 4-0 while lowering his ERA to a sparkling 1.49, good for fourth-best in MLB. He had all of his pitches working Wednesday, tying a season-high seven strikeouts while allowing only one walk. Alongside lefty Shota Imanaga, Assad has given the Cubs one of the best 1-2 punches in all of baseball, with neither pitcher allowing more than two earned runs in a game all season. Assad looks to keep the streak intact with another start against these Braves in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Chicago Cubs middle infielder Nico Hoerner (hamstring) will stay out of the lineup on Wednesday on the road against the Atlanta Braves. It will be Hoerner's second straight missed game after he was scratched from Tuesday's lineup with left-hamstring tightness. Fantasy managers should consider Hoerner to be day-to-day for now and check back to see if he's playing in Thursday's series opener at Wrigley Field against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. With Hoerner out again on Wednesday, Miles Mastrobuoni will get another start at the 6 and will bat sixth against Braves right-hander Charlie Morton. Mastrobuoni has never faced Morton in his career and should be considered a pretty deep DFS sleeper with low upside. The 28-year-old is 3-for-23 on the year and has only hit one home run with seven RBI and 14 stolen bases in 82 career games.
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon suffered his first loss of the season on Tuesday versus the Atlanta Braves. The veteran entered the contest having allowed three runs over his first four contests, but allowed seven runs (two earned) over four innings. He also gave up seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Taillon did not help himself out with his own error and allowing seven hits and three walks is never a positive sign. Overall, Taillon is now 3-1 with a 1.61 ERA heading into Sunday's contest versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Taillon is worth streaming in favorable matchups, but should not be rostered outside of the deepest leagues.
Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner (hamstring) has been scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup against the Atlanta Braves due to left-hamstring tightness. With Hoerner now out, Miles Mastrobuoni will handle the starting duties at shortstop and will bat eighth against Braves left-hander Chris Sale. It remains to be seen how serious Hoerner's hamstring injury is, so his fantasy managers will want to check back later on Tuesday or early Wednesday. Either way, there's a good chance the 27-year-old will be given the day off on Wednesday. The former 24th overall pick in 2018 out of Stanford is having a solid season, slashing .269/.361/.391 with two home runs, 12 RBI and five stolen bases in 156 at-bats. With Dansby Swanson (knee) currently on the injured list, Hoerner has slid over from second base to the 6.