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Happ was scratched from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins due to left knee discomfort, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
It's unclear when exactly the injury surfaced for Happ, who started the past four games and went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI in Saturday's contest. Tyrone Taylor will instead start in left field in the series finale at Miami.
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Cubs' Jacob Webb: Should be available Sunday
Rotowire
Manager Craig Counsell said he "fully expects" Webb (forearm) to be available to pitch Sunday against the Marlins, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
The right-hander hasn't taken the mound since being struck by a 102.5-mph comebacker Wednesday against the Brewers, but he avoided a fracture and appears good to go after taking it easy for a few days. Webb has surrendered seven runs across his past four appearances but is still in the mix at closer for the Cubs with nine saves and a 3.15 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 65:21 K:BB over 60 innings this year.
Hoerner went 3-for-5 with an RBI in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Marlins.
The infielder produced his second straight three-hit effort and his third in the last nine games. Hoerner has shifted over to shortstop while Dansby Swanson (oblique) is on the shelf, but the change in defensive responsibilities hasn't caused him to lose focus at the plate. Over 18 games since Swanson landed on the IL, Hoerner boasts a .310/.320/.366 slash line with one homer, two steals, four runs and eight RBI.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Can't find plate Saturday
Rotowire
Assad didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Marlins, giving up three runs on three hits and five walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out three.
Called up earlier in the day for a spot start, Assad held Miami off the scoreboard for three innings before his control issues caught up to him. The right-hander exited after 88 pitches (51 strikes) with the Cubs ahead 5-2, as he missed a chance to record his seventh win of the season and tie his career high. It's not yet clear if Chicago will keep Assad around as a sixth starter or long reliever, or option him back to Triple-A Iowa in exchange for a fresh arm, but over five appearances and 18.1 big-league innings since the beginning of August he's delivered a 2.95 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10:8 K:BB.
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Cubs' Ryan Zeferjahn: Records first save with Cubs
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Zeferjahn tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the save in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Marlins. He walked one and struck out one.
With regular closer Jacob Webb (forearm) remaining out of action, Zeferjahn recorded his fifth save of the season and first since Aug. 2, when he was still a member of the Los Angeles Angels before getting traded to Chicago a day later. The righty reliever hasn't been particularly sharp with the Cubs yet, as he's recorded a 5.68 ERA across 12.2 innings with his new team. Zeferjahn still misses plenty of bats, and he should be given chances to turn things around down the stretch as a key member of Chicago's bullpen.
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Cubs' Michael Conforto: Hits 14th home run Saturday
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Conforto went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Marlins.
Conforto provided an offensive lift before getting pulled for pinch hitter Matt Shaw in the seventh inning, as he connected for this 14th home run of the season in the third. The veteran outfielder has posted a solid .821 OPS across 97 games, and he continues to see most of his playing time in matchups against right-handed pitchers, recording only seven at-bats versus lefties this year. Conforto can have some fantasy value when he's in the lineup, though his sporadic role makes him hard to rely on as a regular option.
Kelly isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Miami.
Kelly will move to the bench Saturday after going 1-for-11 with an RBI and a run scored in three games to begin September. Miguel Amaya will handle catching duties and bat ninth.
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Cubs' Javier Assad: Recalled for start
Rotowire
The Cubs recalled Assad from Triple-A Iowa ahead of his start Saturday against Miami, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Assad has put up a 3.46 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 83.1 innings in the big leagues this season and has given up four runs in nine innings since being sent down to Triple-A in late August. He'll now return to the majors to pitch against a Marlins offense that's put up a .677 OPS in the last two weeks, and he could stick around in the Cubs' rotation if he delivers another strong performance. Tyler Ferguson was optioned to Iowa in a corresponding move.
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Cubs' Tyler Ferguson: Sent back to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Cubs optioned Ferguson to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Ferguson gave up one run in 1.2 innings during his lone appearance after coming up from Iowa on Tuesday. He'll now head back to the minors to make room for Javier Assad, who was recalled to start Saturday's game against the Marlins.
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Cubs' Alex Bregman: Extends hitting streak Friday
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Bregman went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Friday's 6-1 win over the Marlins.
The veteran third baseman extended his hitting streak to eight games and continued a torrid stretch of baseball that dates back farther. Since the beginning of August, Bregman is slashing .308/.372/.662 with 13 home runs and 34 RBI across 32 games. With the hot stretch, Bregman now has his fifth career season with at least 20 homers and 80 RBI, and his first such campaign since he was with the Astros in 2023.
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Cubs' Aaron Civale: Earns second save Friday
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Civale tossed three scoreless innings to earn the save in Friday's 6-1 win over the Marlins. He allowed a hit and two walks while striking out three.
After six innings from starter Shota Imanaga, Civale picked up the baton and carried it to the finish line for his second save of the season. The long-relief outing gave Chicago's bullpen a much-needed break after a tough series with Milwaukee, particularly with closer Jacob Webb (forearm) a bit banged up. Civale now has a new career high in saves, as he came into the year with just one save to his name across seven MLB seasons.
Assad will be recalled from Triple-A Iowa to start Saturday's game against the Marlins, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Assad will toe the rubber opposite Ryan Gusto as he returns for his 23rd appearance and 11th start for the big-league club this season. The 29-year-old Assad has put up an impressive 3.46 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in his 83.1 innings in the majors this season and threw 5.1 innings of one-run ball in his most recent start for Iowa on Aug. 30. With a strong showing Saturday, Assad could end up sticking in the Chicago rotation as the fifth starter over David Peterson.
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Cubs' Shota Imanaga: Posts quality start in win
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Imanaga (9-10) earned the win against the Marlins on Friday, allowing one run on three hits and no walks with four strikeouts over six innings.
Imanaga cruised through six scoreless innings and was charged with a run in the seventh after departing following a leadoff single. He filled the zone with 64 strikes on 94 pitches while generating a whopping 22 whiffs, including 17 with his splitter. It's been an up-and-down campaign for the 33-year-old, but he's posted a 3.35 ERA with five quality starts in nine outings since the All-Star break. He'll take a 3.91 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 152:35 K:BB across 156.1 innings this season into a road matchup with the Brewers next week.
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Cubs' Michael Busch: Goes deep in win
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Busch went 1-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional run scored in Friday's 6-1 win over the Marlins.
Busch walked and came around to score in the sixth inning before adding a solo shot in the ninth. The 28-year-old has now homered in two of his past eight contests, though he's just 4-for-34 with 10 strikeouts in that span. On the year, he's slashing .236/.345/.391 with 18 homers, 69 RBI, 64 runs scored and two steals across 629 plate appearances.
Hollowell (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Hollowell has been sidelined since late July with right shoulder inflammation, but he's ready to test things out in a game setting. The right-handed reliever has allowed five runs (four earned) with a 13:8 K:BB over 14.1 innings during his time with the Cubs in 2026.
