With 10 days left in the regular season, the Cubs could clinch a playoff spot this weekend in Cincinnati.
That possibility could happen as soon as Saturday against the Reds as the Cubs magic number to eliminate the Arizona Diamondbacks from catching them sits at four. It would mark their first time with playoff appearances in back-to-back seasons since 2017-18.
The White Sox have been struggling at the worst possible time, losing each of their last three series. Their postseason hopes will come down to whether they can turn it around over their last nine games.
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Every Friday during the regular season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Cubs and White Sox.
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All hands on deck
Kevin Gausman understands the challenge for starters who get moved to the bullpen late in the season and postseason.
The Cubs right-hander got his first taste of the majors out of the bullpen when he debuted in 2013 with the Baltimore Orioles, then had a two-month stretch as a reliever at the end of the 2019 season after the Reds claimed him off waivers. Right-hander Edward Cabrera’s first relief appearance with the Cubs on Tuesday largely was encouraging despite the two-run home run he allowed in the ninth.
Cabrera is one of three pitchers currently in the Cubs bullpen who has been part of the rotation this year, joining Colin Rea and Javier Assad. Aaron Civale made 15 starts for the Athletics this season before being traded to the Cubs, with whom he has been used in relief. And when the postseason arrives, others in the rotation could join them given the need for fewer starters, especially in the best-of-three wild-card series and best-of-five division series.
“The biggest thing is your routine as a pitcher,” Gausman said. “I always thought I needed a lot of throwing for my arm to be ready and once you pitch out of the bullpen, you realize that you don’t. You have adrenaline, and you know how kind of quickly you’ve got to get ready.”
When Gausman was in the bullpen, he would throw every third inning, using playing catch to help the outfielder warm up before an inning.
“That would give me where I’m still throwing some distance and so that way I hadn’t been sitting for seven innings,” Gausman explained. “So, I haven’t talked to (Cabrera), but that’s definitely something that was the first thing, is you’re used to having you 30, 35 pitches, and you can kind of go at your own pace. If you need to take a break, you can take a break. Once you’re out there and the phone rings, you might be next hitter.
“It’s a different animal, it really is.”
The Cubs will have all hands on deck for the pitching staff in the playoffs. Manager Craig Counsell didn’t shy away from going to the bullpen 12 outs into a game last postseason, and with their recent pen issues combined with a deep starting group, the Cubs might take an unconventional approach, especially if they make a deep run. As Gausman experienced last year during the Toronto Blue Jays’ journey to the World Series, anything goes.
“Honestly, it’s fun, it’s really fun, especially like I did it early in my career and then I did it later in my career, and it’s fun because you find out different things about yourself,” said Gausman, who pitched in relief during Game 7 of the 2025 American League Championship Series. “Like, maybe you’ve never thrown a slider over 87 mph before. Well, you’re out in the bullpen, everything kind of goes up. You’re throwing splits at 90 now, and it’s fun. You see a different level of yourself.”
Various scenarios in play for the Sox
A number of postseason scenarios are in play for the Sox heading down the stretch.
After their 3-1 win against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series at Rate Field, the Sox are tied for first in the American League Central with the Cleveland Guardians.
“Obviously we understand the significance of all these games and all these moments and plays that happen down the stretch,” manager Will Venable said before Thursday’s game. “So really it’s about getting good work in before the game (and) making sure the vibe is in a good place, which we feel really good about.”
The Sox and Guardians both have nine games left in the regular season. The Sox have three remaining against the Tigers, then three each against the Kansas City Royals (on the road) and the Colorado Rockies (at home).
The Guardians have three each against the Athletics (home), Boston Red Sox (road) and Royals (road).
“Just got to worry about ourselves,” pitcher Anthony Kay said Wednesday. “Just keep playing our kind of baseball and not worry about what the other side is doing.”
The Sox hold the tiebreaker over the Guardians and would be the division winners if the teams finish the season with the same record. And if the Guardians retake the lead in the Central, the third AL wild-card spot is also in play for the Sox.
Regardless of what’s at stake, the team wants to keep the same approach.
“Just (take it) day to day, like we’ve been doing all year,” reliever Sean Newcomb said Wednesday. “Just like the first game straight through to the last. Just check in, do our work and keep pushing ourselves internally.”
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Number of the week: 10.4
Pete Crow-Armstrong is getting close to setting a Cubs record for single-season fWAR after Wednesday’s three-extra-base-hit performance featuring two home runs moved him to 10.4 fWAR on the season. It puts him in sight of Rogers Hornsby’s 11.0 fWAR in 1929. Through Wednesday’s games, no other MLB player has an fWAR above 6.8 (Shohei Ohtani).
Week ahead: Cubs
- Friday: Cubs at Reds, 5:40 p.m., Marquee
- Saturday: Cubs at Reds, 5:40 p.m., Marquee
- Sunday: Cubs at Reds, 12:40 p.m., Marquee
- Monday: off
- Tuesday: Marlins at Cubs, 6:40 p.m., Marquee
- Wednesday: Marlins at Cubs, 6:40 p.m., Marquee
- Thursday: Marlins at Cubs, 1:20 p.m.
The Arizona Fall League announced their rosters Tuesday, and the Cubs have two of their top-12 prospects representing the organization.
Eight players will represent the Cubs on the Mesa Solar Sox, which will be managed by High A South Bend skipper Daniel Wasinger. The roster will feature five pitchers from the Cubs farm system — right-handers Jhon Cabral, Anhuar Garcia, Yoendris Gonzalez, Dominick Reid and Luis Rujano — first baseman Myles Bailey, infielder Juan Cabada and outfielder Kade Snell. The AFL season begins Oct. 3 and concludes with the league championship game Nov. 14.
Bailey, the Cubs’ second-round pick in the 2026 draft, was limited to 26 games this year at Florida State because of ankle surgery. The 21-year-old slugger, who is rated their No. 8 prospect by MLB.com, recovered well enough from the late March procedure to get his first professional action in the AFL.
Cabada, only 18, earned his first stateside affiliate assignment this year, first in the Arizona Complex League then at Low A Myrtle Beach. Considered the organization’s No. 12 prospect in MLB.com’s team rankings, the lefty-hitting Cabada had a stellar debut last year in the Dominican Summer League after signing for $1.5 million.
Snell, a fifth-round selection in 2025, showed more pop in his second year at High A, posting a .269/.350/.426 slash line with 15 doubles and nine home runs for South Bend.
Reid, the No. 28 prospect in the Cubs system, is coming off his first season of professional baseball after they took him in the third round last year. He posted a 4.17 ERA in 12 starts in Low A and made one appearance in High A in which he tossed four shutout innings.
Week ahead: White Sox
- Friday: vs. Tigers, 6:40 p.m., CHSN
- Saturday: vs. Tigers, 6:10 p.m., CHSN
- Sunday: vs. Tigers, 1:10 p.m., CHSN
- Monday: off
- Tuesday: at Royals, 6:40 p.m., CHSN
- Wednesday: at Royals, 6:40 p.m., CHSN
- Thursday: at Royals, 1:10 p.m., CHSN
Tim Anderson saw Thursday as an opportunity for closure.
“It’s closing the door the way I wanted to and nobody else,” Anderson said. “But the ultimate goal is for me to be happy. And I’m happy. I’m happy with where I’m at in life, in baseball, with whatever.
“I’m just happy. I’m at peace.”
The Sox honored their former shortstop ahead of Thursday’s game against the Tigers.
“They don’t really do this for a lot of players, so being able to come back to where it all started, definitely feels great,” Anderson said.
The two-time All-Star announced his retirement last month. He played eight of his 10 big-league seasons with the Sox, winning a batting title in 2019.
“Just looking back on it, I know summing it all up, it’s not what you did for me lately, it’s what you did,” Anderson said. “Now, looking back at what I did: pretty cool.”
He looked forward to having a different view from the ballpark.
“No pressure,” Anderson said. “I don’t have to hit a fastball today. They do, I’m going to be here to watch. Nothing to stress about.”
What we’re reading today
- Cubs and White Sox are in the hunt for playoff berths: Tracking the magic numbers for Chicago’s baseball teams
- White Sox recall lefty Noah Schultz from Triple-A Charlotte as a multi-inning relief option
- Pete Crow-Armstrong hits historic milestone and Alex Bregman stays hot as Cubs protect wild-card lead
- White Sox GM Chris Getz foresees changes to the player-evaluation process following scouting shake-up
- Column: Fan angst hits fever pitch as Cubs and White Sox take playoff hopes into final days of wild season
- Column: Allegations against ex-scouting director Mike Shirley another blemish for White Sox management
- 3 Cubs who need to step up over the final 10 games after a blown lead in a 6-3 loss
- Column: How does Pete Crow-Armstrong’s MVP-caliber season rank in the last 40 years of Cubs lore?
- Column: Ultimate occupational hazard of managing the Cubs? The incessant mood swings of fans.
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Quotable
“You have to play the game to win. You have to do winning things every single day, whether that’s making a play on defense, moving a guy over. Whatever it is.” — Sox outfielder Tommy Pham on the home stretch