The Chicago Cubs expect to have a familiar face return to their lineup on Friday afternoon when they open their final regular-season series against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.
All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker likely will be activated from the 10-day injured list after being sidelined since Sept. 3 due to a strained left calf.
Tucker’s comeback could provide the emotional lift needed to help the Cubs (89-70) in their bid to clinch home-field advantage for their upcoming National League wild-card series against the San Diego Padres.
Chicago holds a two-game lead over San Diego (87-72), which enters its final regular-season series vs. the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.
Tucker likely will serve as the designated hitter on Friday as a means to prevent him from aggravating the injury.
“We were on the same page with that,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “I don’t think the symptoms are going to be gone, but I think he’s in a place where he agrees, and we’ve got to go. We’ve got to see what it feels like to play.”
Tucker is batting .270 with 22 homers and 73 RBIs in 133 games this season, his first with the Cubs.
Another Chicago outfielder, Seiya Suzuki, ended his lengthy homer drought on Thursday by belting a solo shot in the fourth inning and adding a three-run blast in the sixth during the Cubs’ 8-5 loss to the New York Mets.
Suzuki also went deep in his last encounter against the Cardinals’ scheduled Friday starter, Miles Mikolas (8-10, 4.76 ERA). He wasn’t alone, as the right-hander surrendered six homers — including two by Michael Busch — in that 11-3 setback on July 4. Busch wound up with three homers in the game.
Mikolas, 36, owns a 6-7 record with a 3.59 ERA in 24 career appearances (22 starts) vs. the Cubs.
He has answered a disastrous August in which he posted an 0-2 record with a 6.04 ERA by going 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts in September. He allowed two runs in five-plus innings during a no-decision against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday in his latest outing.
Chicago is expected to start Colin Rea (10-7, 4.10 ERA) in the series opener. Rea is coming off a strong performance in which he struck out a career-high 11 and allowed just one run in seven innings but was charged with a 1-0 loss to the Reds on Sept. 18.
Rea has won both of his starts against the Cardinals this season, giving up just one run in each outing. For his career, he is 3-3 with a 3.59 ERA in 11 appearances (nine starts) vs. St. Louis.
Counsell said that an MRI exam on right-hander Cade Horton’s mid-back and ribcage area displayed “some areas of concern.” That said, Counsell was cautiously optimistic about the rookie’s chances of pitching in the postseason.
“Right now, Cade is a go,” Counsell said. “Look, the reason we want to get as much information as you can is you want to make sure it’s safe for Cade to go out there and pitch.”
The playoff aspirations of the Cardinals (78-81) were dashed for the third straight season on Wednesday following their 4-3 setback to the San Francisco Giants.
It wasn’t too long after the final out was recorded that both right-hander Sonny Gray and third baseman Nolan Arenado acknowledged they likely are leaving St. Louis.
“There are drastic changes that need to happen for me individually and probably with this team,” Arenado told The Athletic. “I’m not a part of those plans for those changes for the team, and that’s OK. I understand that. Obviously, I could come back. That’s always a possibility, so I try to understand that. But at the same time, it looks like it’s best to move on.”
The Cardinals and Cubs have each won five games during the season series.
–Field Level Media
