Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch and catcher Yan Gomes are not in the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Miami Marlins and left-hander A.J. Puk. Garrett Cooper is playing first base and batting seventh in the lineup, while Miguel Amaya is doing the catching and batting in the nine-hole against Puk. Busch had a streak of five straight games with a home run come to an end this week and he's hitting a strong .317 (19-for-60) overall with six total long balls, 13 RBI and 10 runs scored to start his first year in Chicago. He's hit just .167 (4-for-24) and has yet to homer against a left-hander in his career, though, so he'll likely occasionally be rested against lefties this year. Cooper has never faced Puk in his career, while Amaya has a hit and RBI in his only career at-bat against the southpaw.
The Chicago Cubs exercised catcher Yan Gomes' $6 million option for the 2024 campaign over the weekend, according to a source. Gomes will return next year for a third season in the Windy City. The 36-year-old veteran backstop is much more valuable in real life for the Cubs than in fantasy. The Brazilian saw more playing time in 2023 with Willson Contreras going to St. Louis, and he finished the year hitting a respectable .267 (102-for-382) with 10 home runs, 20 doubles, two triples, 63 RBI and 44 runs scored in 116 games played in Chicago. If the Cubs don't upgrade at the position, Gomes will be in line to open the 2024 regular season as the team's primary backstop while being spelled by Miguel Amaya.
Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes will be rested on Monday as the team takes on the Milwaukee Brewers on the road. Gomes gets a deserved day of rest after catching all 10 innings in the team's extra-inning loss to the Cleveland Guardians in Sunday's series finale. The 35-year-old Brazilian backstop has been decent at the plate this year with a .265 average (44-for-166) with seven home runs, three doubles, 24 RBI and 25 runs scored in 50 games (181 plate appearances), but a three-headed platoon at the position in Chicago has hurt him. Tucker Barnhart will do the catching on Monday and will hit in the nine-hole against Brewers right-hander Julio Teheran. The Cubs have also mixed in Miguel Amaya behind the plate recently.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Patrick Wisdom and catcher Yan Gomes are both taking the day off on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds. Wisdom will now be on the bench for the third time in the last five games because he's in a 1-for-21 slump currently, which includes 14 strikeouts. The 31-year-old right-handed slugger is now hitting only .214 (31-for-145) on the year, but he has added 12 home runs and 23 RBI. The 35-year-old Gomes is getting a regular day of rest. In limited playing time, Gomes has been solid with a .290 average (29-for-100) with six home runs and 19 RBI in 28 games. Miles Mastrobuoni is starting at third and hitting eighth on Friday, while Tucker Barnhart is behind the plate and batting in the nine-hole against Reds right-hander Hunter Greene.
Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes (head) will be activated off the injured list soon, according to MLB.com. The 35-year-old was placed on the IL in early May after suffering concussion-like symptoms, but he's resumed baseball activities and went through a pregame workout on Tuesday. Gomes was having a resurgence at the plate before his injury, slashing .294/.310/.529 with five homers, 10 runs, 13 RBI, and one stolen base over 19 games. When he does return, the veteran will take back the starting catcher role from Miguel Amaya and try to keep providing solid production.
Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes (concussion) is doing some conditioning and light baseball activities on Friday, while relief pitcher Brandon Hughes (knee) will play catch. Relief pitcher Codi Heuer (elbow) is scheduled to throw one inning in a minor-league rehab outing for Triple-A Iowa on Saturday. If Gomes can avoid any concussion symptoms, he could be activated from the injured list when he's eligible on May 9. Hughes has already been on the injured list twice this year with a nagging knee injury, but the Cubs will likely play things extra cautiously with Hughes this time. Heuer will be pitching in his first game action this weekend since having Tommy John surgery last March.
Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes (concussion) has been placed on the 7-day concussion list on Wednesday. The veteran catcher hasn't played since exiting Monday's game after getting hit in the head by a backswing. The team isn't going to take any chances here with Gomes. It's worth noting that Gomes hasn't been officially diagnosed with a concussion. Regardless, he'll miss some time, so Tucker Barnhart figures to get a majority of the starts behind the plate. He'll serve as the catcher and bat ninth against right-hander Jake Irvin on Wednesday. In a corresponding move, right-hander Javier Assad has been recalled to give the Cubs an extra arm.
Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes (head) is not officially in concussion protocol, according to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. The veteran backstop left Monday's game against the Washington Nationals early after a backswing hit him in the head. Gomes should be considered day-to-day and will likely still miss some time even if he avoids the injured list. In his absence, Tucker Barnhart will get the majority of starts behind the plate. The light hitting 32-year-old is slashing .212/.250/.242 through 13 games with no home runs, one run, and two RBI. Fantasy managers can lay off Barnhart in favor of catchers with a little more thump in their bat.
Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes left his team's Monday game against the Washington Nationals with a possible head injury. While behind the plate in the first inning, Gomes was hit on the helmet on Jeimer Candelario's backswing. Gomes initially stuck around and logged an at-bat in the second inning, but he left shortly after striking out in that plate appearance. He will most certainly go for a concussion test and could be out for some time if he is shown to have suffered a head injury. Look for the Cubs to update his status upon the conclusion of Monday's game.
Chicago Cubs catcher Yan Gomes (rest) is out of the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Texas Rangers. The veteran catcher will get the day off for rest purposes. In his absence, Tucker Barnhart will cover behind the plate and bat ninth versus righty Nathan Eovaldi. The expectation is that these two are going to split up the catching duties in Chicago this season. Neither of them are going to have great fantasy appeal.