Chicago Cubs Lineup (9/14/26): Peterson Pitching Against Braves
The Cubs enter the week tied with the Phillies atop the Wild Card standings, but both teams are just 1.5 games up on the streaking Padres. San Diego has won seven in a row to open up a 2.5-game lead on the Diamondbacks, and they’re now facing the Rockies while the Cubs play host to the NL East-leading Braves. The Phils are idle today, so there will be a half-game swing one way or the other.
David Peterson gets the ball in the opener after a strong showing against the Brewers in Milwaukee. Peterson was tasked with opposing Jacob Misiorowski in that one, and he held his own with just one run allowed on six hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. You’d really like to see him go a little deeper, but an effort like that is all you can really ask for.
Pete Crow-Armstrong has been in a bit of a slump by his standards, but he’ll get the chance to break out as the leadoff hitter yet again. Seiya Suzuki is in right, Michael Busch is at first, and Alex Bregman continues his hot second half at third base. Nico Hoerner plays short, Michael Conforto is the DH, Pedro Ramírez is at second, and Carson Kelly is the catcher.
Facing them is righty Reynaldo López, who is making his 13th start as a swingman for the Braves this season. López came up as a starter before transitioning into a very effective reliever for the White Sox, who then traded him to the Angels in 2023 in the deal that also sent Lucas Giolito to Anaheim. He was placed on waivers and claimed by the Guardians about a month later, then signed with Atlanta prior to the ’24 season.
López was moved back to the rotation and had an incredible season, posting a 1.99 ERA, but was limited by injuries. Shoulder surgery limited him to just one start last season, and he’s missed time this year due to a suspension and then left knee inflammation. That suspension came when former Cubs and Braves great Jorge Soler took exception to López buzzing his tower and charged the mound.
The two came to blows, and López threw a punch with the baseball in his right hand. That drew a seven-game suspension, which is kind of a joke for a pitcher because it’s really just a one-game vacation. López was later moved to the bullpen, where he remained until July 1. The left knee issue shut him down for about a month and a half, so this will be just his second MLB start since late July.
That first game back was a rough one, as the righty gave up six earned runs to the Rays on seven hits before he was able to complete five innings. He’s been better than that on the whole, but he’s basically a middling starter with a decent fastball and an acceptable curveball. His slider has been terrible this season and his changeup falls just on the negative side of meh.
López has historically pitched to pretty even splits, but righties are hitting and slugging much better against him this year. He has only issued one walk to 143 right-handed batters, however, so their OBP is minimal. Happ is the only Cub with a homer against López out of 41 combined at-bats across the roster, and Bregman is the only Cub with more than eight ABs.
This matchup favors the home team, and a significant breeze blowing right-to-left should provide even more of an advantage. Peterson’s 50.6% grounder rate is about 12 points higher than his counterpart’s, so having an edge in what could be a slugfest between two of the most powerful teams in the league is always good. First pitch is at 6:40pm CT on Marquee and The Score.
