CHICAGO CUBS NEWS

Jorge López - Earns win in relief Lopez (2-2) tossed two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win Wednesday against the Twins. He allowed two hits and struck out two.

Impact After starter Javier Assad covered only four innings, Lopez swooped in for the win against his former team. The righty struggled with the Twins, Orioles and Marlins last season, and he was released by the Mets earlier this year, but he's seemingly found a home in Chicago. In 14 relief appearances for his new team, Lopez has turned in a sparkling 0.54 ERA and he's struck out 14 batters across 16.2 innings.

AUGUST 8 • ROTOWIRE

Javier Assad - Covers four innings again Wednesday Assad allowed two runs on three hits across four innings in Wednesday's start against the Twins. He walked two and struck out one.

Impact Assad was lifted after tossing 75 pitches, and for the second straight start, he covered just four innings. The righty was fairly effective while in the contest, though the Cubs seem to be watching his workload closely. Assad logged a career-high 109.1 innings last season, working mostly as a long reliever. Now serving exclusively as a starter, the 27-year-old is up to 102.2 innings this year. Assad is penciled in to take the mound again next Wednesday against the Guardians, and his fantasy value will remain capped if he's not allowed to work deeper into the game.

AUGUST 8 • ROTOWIRE

Lucas Luetge - Signs minors deal with Cubs Luetge signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Wednesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Impact Luetge opted out of his MiLB deal with the Red Sox on Saturday after posting a 3.02 ERA and 1.19 WHIP through 41.2 innings with Triple-A Worcester. He didn't have to wait long to find another gig, and he could potentially be added to the Cubs' bullpen down the stretch if he continues to perform well with Triple-A Iowa.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

Cubs take advantage of Twins' wild pitching, win series Ian Happ clubbed a two-run homer and four relievers combined for five innings of scoreless relief as the host Chicago Cubs beat the Minnesot...

AUGUST 7 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox Preview - 08/09/2024 This browser does not support the video element.

AUGUST 7 • MLB.COM

Ian Happ and Michael Busch homers power Cubs past Twins 8-2

Ian Happ and Michael Busch homered and five Chicago pitchers combined for a six-hitter as the Cubs beat the Minnesota Twins 8-2

AUGUST 7 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Twins RHP Joe Ryan (triceps) exits start vs. Cubs Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan exited Wednesday afternoon’s game against the host Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the third inning...

AUGUST 7 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Twins starter Joe Ryan leaves game against Cubs in third inning with right triceps tightness

Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan left during the third inning of Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Cubs with right triceps tightness

AUGUST 7 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jordan Wicks - Cleared for rehab assignment Wicks (oblique) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Iowa, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Impact Wicks' upcoming appearance will be his first since mid-June, when he suffered a Grade 2 right oblique strain in a start against the Cardinals. Given the length of Wicks' absence, he'll likely need at least a couple of rehab outings beyond Saturday's to get fully stretched out, assuming the Cubs still want to keep him in play as an option for the rotation. Though Kyle Hendricks has shown improvement upon re-entering the rotation when Wicks went down with the injury, he's still sporting a 5.05 ERA over his nine starts since mid-June and wouldn't seem to have much security as the club's No. 5 starter.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

Alzolay to have season-ending Tommy John surgery CHICAGO -- Adbert Alzolay entered this season hoping to build on his breakout showing last year as the Cubs closer. Injuries interfered with...

AUGUST 7 • MLB.COM

Breaking down Shota Imanaga vs Royce Lewis | 08/07/2024 Mark DeRosa breaks down the electric matchup between Shota Imanaga and Royce Lewis on MLB Central

AUGUST 7 • MLB.COM

Cubs Star Closer Could Miss All of 2025 After Undergoing Tommy John Surgery Coming into the 2024 MLB season, Adbert Alzolay was expected to be a star closer for the Chicago Cubs. Unfortunately, that did not end up be...

AUGUST 7 • SI.COM

Cody Bellinger - Dealing with hamstring soreness Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Bellinger is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins due to a sore hamstring, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Impact Bellinger had been relegated to designated-hitter duties over each of the previous eight games following his return from the injured list July 29 while he's still unable to throw at 100 percent as he heals up from a broken middle finger on his left hand, but it's a different injury that is keeping him on the bench Wednesday. According to Counsell, Bellinger tweaked his hamstring after stepping on first base awkwardly in Tuesday's 7-3 win and hyperextending his knee in the process. The Cubs have a team off day Thursday, and Counsell is hopeful that Bellinger will be good to go for Friday's series opener versus the White Sox after two full days of rest.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

Adbert Alzolay - Will have Tommy John surgery Alzolay will undergo Tommy John surgery on his injured right elbow, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Impact It had been reported previously that Alzolay would be requiring some time of procedure on his pitching arm and now it's been revealed that he'll need a full UCL reconstruction. While no timetable for his return has been established, there's a good chance he won't be ready to pitch in the majors again until 2026.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

David Bote - Struggling to find playing time Bote is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins.

Impact Bote hasn't started since July 28 and has seen light action in the Cubs' ensuing nine games, appearing off the bench in just two of those contests. While the Cubs at full strength in the infield, Bote's opportunities are expected to remain fairly limited.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

Miguel Amaya - Resting up Wednesday Amaya is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins.

Impact Amaya had started at catcher each of the past four days, so he'll be getting a breather Wednesday while the Cubs and Twins wrap up their series with an afternoon game after a night game. Christian Bethancourt will step in behind the plate in place of Amaya, who has gone 2-for-14 with a home run and a walk through his first five games this month.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

Cody Bellinger - Getting afternoon off Bellinger is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins.

Impact After missing just under three weeks with a fractured middle finger on his left hand, Bellinger returned from the injured list July 29 and has been limited to serving as a designated hitter while starting in each of the previous eight games. Bellinger hasn't experienced any reported setbacks in his recovery from the injury, but he's not yet able to throw at full distance and velocity and could occupy the DH role for a few more games before returning to the outfield. He'll take a seat Wednesday in what amounts to a maintenance day as the Cubs conclude their series with Minnesota with an afternoon contest.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

Keegan Thompson - Activated, sent to minors The Cubs reinstated Thompson (rib) from the 15-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Iowa, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Impact Thompson had been on the shelf since late June with a right rib fracture but is back to full health after making four rehab appearances prior to being activated. The Cubs don't have a spot in the bullpen available for Thompson at the moment, but the right-hander should rank near the top of the list for a call-up if the club needs a fresh relief arm at any point.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

Adrian Houser - Receives MiLB deal from Cubs The Cubs signed Houser to a minor-league contract Tuesday.

Impact Houser was cut loose by the Mets in late July after putting up a 5.84 ERA and 45:32 K:BB over 69.1 innings covering seven starts and 16 relief appearances. He will join the rotation at Triple-A Iowa, where he'll provide the Cubs with some veteran starting pitching depth.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

Cubs play the Twins in series rubber match

Both the Chicago Cubs and the Minnesota Twins are looking for a series win with a victory on Wednesday

AUGUST 7 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

How to Watch Twins vs. Cubs: TV Channel & Live Stream - August 7

Preview the August 7 matchup between the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs with recent trends, how to watch, livestream info, and more.

AUGUST 7 • DATA SKRIVE

Cubs finish off winning homestand vs. Twins The Chicago Cubs will look to put the finishing touches on a successful homestand Wednesday afternoon when they play the decisive contest of...

AUGUST 7 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Shota Imanaga - Strikes out 10 in win Imanaga (9-2) allowed two runs on two hits and a walk while striking out 10 over seven innings to earn the win Tuesday over the Twins.

Impact After a couple of middling performances, Imanaga was in dominant form for this game, recording his second double-digit strikeout effort in his last four starts. The only damage on his line came in the fourth inning on a two-run home run by Royce Lewis. Imanaga now has a 3.06 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 128:18 K:BB over 123.1 innings over 21 starts this season. He's projected for a tough road matchup versus the Guardians next week.

AUGUST 7 • ROTOWIRE

Isaac Paredes knocks in four as Cubs topple Twins Isaac Paredes homered to highlight a four-RBI performance and Shota Imanaga matched a career-high 10 strikeouts, lifting the host Chicago Cu...

AUGUST 7 • CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM

Twins fall to Cubs, 7-3, ending five-game winning streak CHICAGO - The Twins rank as one of the best offensive teams against left-handed pitchers this season...

AUGUST 7 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM