https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/135/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/miles-mastrobuoni-foul-tip-jonah-heim-karma/The slight graze of the ball off his bat was inaudible, meaning there was almost no way for home plate umpire Chad Fairchild to know it was a foul ball. He, therefore, gave no such signal, and Michael Busch took that as a cue to score from second base as the ball bounded toward the backstop. It...693Sat, 30 Mar 2024 19:30:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/its-ben-brown-season-cubs-call-up-brown-to-replace-injured-justin-steele-r694/When Justin Steele awkwardly fielded a swinging bunt in the fifth inning of Thursday's Opening Game, Cubs' fans held their breath as the lefty lay on the ground holding his hamstring. Despite walking off under his power, once the Cubs acknowledged it was "a hamstring injury" mid-game, the obviou...694Sat, 30 Mar 2024 18:20:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/justin-steele-injury-update-hamstring-strain-timeline-ben-brown-drew-smyly/Though the team has insisted otherwise, and proved their faith by refusing to meet an extremely low asking price for Jordan Montgomery earlier this week, the Cubs' pitching was thin even entering Opening Day. Their modest projected win totals in each of the major projection systems (always right...692Fri, 29 Mar 2024 11:29:44 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/yikes-justin-steele-leaves-opening-day-game-with-hamstring-injury-r691/We aren't even a game into the season, and Cubs fans are already stressing over a massive injury. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Leody Taveras laid down an excellent bunt down the first base line. Justin Steele was able to stop it with his glove and flip it to Michael Busch at first base. Wh...691Fri, 29 Mar 2024 02:04:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-necessity-and-tantalizing-possibility-of-a-michael-busch-breakout-r688/The contrasting reactions to the 2023-24 Chicago Cubs offseason are not mutually exclusive. While it’s true that the organization could have sought more impactful means by which to improve their club, it would also be accurate to note that the team is at least marginally better via those that we...688Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:18:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/north-side-baseballs-2024-chicago-cubs-season-preview-r684/Every day, my school days get further into the past. I may not be old enough to be phrasing this in such a manner, but I'm sure the structure of this sentence has transported you back to a potentially sweaty/awkward stage.  Now that I have revealed so much about myself, I will get to my poi...684Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:10:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/2024-nl-east-preview-two-playoff-spots-spoken-for-r682/In 2023, the powerful Atlanta Braves easily won the National League East. Winning a whopping 104 games, the Braves ran away with the division. Behind them, however, two teams finished over ,500 and a third was within shouting distance of a winning record. Despite the Braves walking away with the...682Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:21:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-cubs-and-the-promise-of-a-new-baseball-season-r679/Ever since 2016, Opening Day has felt a little more liberating, hasn’t it? The pressure that once came with having the longest championship drought in professional sports is now gone; in its place is the lesser, lighter pressure that comes with being a professional sports team at all. There’s a...679Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:22:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/behind-enemy-lines-previewing-the-2024-pittsburgh-pirates-r680/The Pittsburgh Pirates finished in fourth place in the NL Central last season, posting a 76-86 record. Their -98 run differential was third-worst in the National League, and the fourth-worst in all of baseball. Pittsburgh’s biggest issue was on the mound, where they posted a 4.60 ERA (21st in ML...680Wed, 27 Mar 2024 16:17:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/2024-chicago-cubs-positional-preview-left-field-r678/Ian Happ has been the Cubs’ everyday starter in left field since mid-2021. He’s posted an above-average OPS+ in every season of his career, and his OPS has never fallen below .750. He’s as consistent as they come at the plate, and he’s improved dramatically as a switch-hitter over the last few s...678Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:05:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/previewing-the-2024-chicago-cubs-probable-opening-day-lineup-r677/Visiting the defending World Series champions is a tough way to open the season, but the Cubs hope to ruin the Rangers' party. Here's the group likely to try to do it. Catcher: Yan Gomes Though this probably wouldn’t be the route I myself would go, I think the Cubs will give the start to...677Wed, 27 Mar 2024 11:15:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/2024-chicago-cubs-positional-preview-designated-hitter-r676/Looking at this 2024 Cubs lineup, we see a good, healthy mix of certainty and doubt. The middle infield is basically written in stone. Corner outfield? Same. The catcher combo is locked in and looking good. We all assume that Cody Bellinger will be patrolling center field more often than not. We...676Tue, 26 Mar 2024 11:19:02 +0000