CHICAGO – The Cubs have learned to embrace some of the chaotic environment of Wrigley Field, trying to use the elements to their advantage at times. Take a day like Sunday, when the wind had the flags rattling the poles around the ballpark as it howled out and toyed with

CHICAGO – All Shota Imanaga could do after the ball nicked off the end of his glove was turn and watch. And from his vantage point on the mound, the Cubs' lefty saw shortstop Dansby Swanson in position to react to the ricochet.

CHICAGO – Cubs manager Craig Counsell referred to Nico Hoerner as the engine of the offense during the second baseman’s torrid start to this season. Given his importance to the lineup and defense, losing Hoerner for any amount of time would be detrimental.

CHICAGO – The Cubs have been waiting for Michael Busch to really find his rhythm in the batter’s box this season. There have certainly been signs of offensive life for the first baseman of late, and Busch knows what it will look like as he continues to feel more and

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SAN DIEGO -- Ben Brown held a raised fist at his side and then gave one hard slap of his glove as he walked off the Petco Park mound in the eighth inning on Wednesday afternoon. Five pitches was all the Cubs reliever needed to escape one of the toughest

SAN DIEGO -- Pete Crow-Armstrong made a point on Tuesday night to praise manager Craig Counsell and the Cubs’ staff for keeping the center fielder in the lineup every day and maintaining a belief that he would pull out of his early season offensive lull. “To repay them, I’d like

SAN DIEGO -- Dansby Swanson got the Cubs’ scoring started on Tuesday night, but the shortstop was soon forced to make an early departure due to an injury. In the second inning, Swanson stole third base against the Padres and initially remained in the game. Before the home half of

SAN DIEGO – The offensive outburst that swung the momentum for the Cubs on Tuesday night was a story in three parts. There was Nico Hoerner, delivering in the clutch as his incredible opening month is approaching its finish line. Alex Bregman came off the bench – after what was

SAN DIEGO – There is still a chance that Justin Steele will pitch for the Cubs this season, but his comeback timeline has officially been pushed back. On Tuesday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell noted that Steele recently felt discomfort in his throwing elbow during a bullpen session in Arizona. Steele

SAN DIEGO – After pulling a fastball inside to Ramón Laureano in the first inning on Monday night, Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd walked off the mound and tapped the top of his head. The veteran pitcher immediately knew it was a mistake. Boyd mouthed, “My bad,” and patted his chest

SAN DIEGO -- The Cubs' bullpen has been dealt blow after blow over the past few weeks, but there was finally a bit of good news ahead of Monday's series opener against the Padres. The North Siders activated righty Phil Maton -- one of the team's key leverage arms --

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

LOS ANGELES -- It had been more than a calendar year since Shota Imanaga issued two walks in the same inning. Attacking the strike zone and being stingy is what the Cubs' starter does best, so it made the first inning on Sunday afternoon an odd sight.

LOS ANGELES -- The visitors’ clubhouse staff worked like a pit crew on Sunday morning, swiftly emptying out one locker and preparing two more as the Cubs’ bullpen churn continued. The speed at which the lockers were rotated was fitting given the rapid pace of the injuries that had hit

LOS ANGELES -- Moisés Ballesteros raised his right arm skyward as he rounded first base and for a moment on Saturday night it looked like the Cubs had the makings of another inspiring win. That feeling was fleeting, as the magic that powered Chicago’s longest winning streak in a decade

LOS ANGELES -- Nico Hoerner broke character. Typically stoic on a baseball field, the Cubs’ second baseman could not help himself. He smiled wide and kept on smiling. Even he had to laugh a little at the acrobatics he pulled off on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. “I was just

LOS ANGELES -- The Cubs know that the road to the World Series likely runs through Dodger Stadium. And on Friday night, the North Siders rolled into Los Angeles and put up the kind of fight against the two-time defending champions that would look right at home on the October

LOS ANGELES -- The Cubs’ bullpen has been surprisingly resilient through a wave of injuries that have riddled the staff over the first month of the season. The group will once again be tasked with making up for the loss of one of its key arms. Prior to Friday’s game

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- The Cubs spent the first couple weeks of the season trying to find their rhythm on multiple fronts. There were outages throughout the lineup, injuries piling up and testing the depth of the roster, and a repeated refrain that things would turn around. Eight consecutive wins later, the

CHICAGO -- Shota Imanaga overpowered the Phillies in his previous start, piling up strikeouts and missing bats at a rapid rate. The Cubs' lefty was tasked with facing the same lineup on Tuesday night, but he quickly felt that his signature splitter was not operating as sharply as usual. Imanaga

CHICAGO -- Phil Maton took the mound on Tuesday afternoon at Wrigley Field as a rainstorm was arriving on the North Side. It was an important pregame workout in the Cubs reliever’s comeback from a right knee issue, and Maton was able to finish the throwing session just in time.

CHICAGO -- After Cubs manager Craig Counsell took the ball out of Colin Rea’s hand on Monday night, the Wrigley Field faithful collectively rose to their feet and raised the decibel level in the old ballpark. The ovation for the veteran right-hander recognized a great outing, but might as well

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.