Tauchman Takes Flight as Cubs Roster Shuffles the Deck!

The Leadoff Man

The weekend series against the Marlins left a sour taste, much like the aftermath of mixing orange juice with toothpaste.

Tonight, the Cubs started strong, took an early lead over the Astros, and maintained their advantage with strong pitching from the young Cubs. Before the game, the team made several roster changes. Kyle Hendricks and Drew Smyly were placed on the Injured List,

Garrett Cooper was unexpectedly removed from the roster, and several young players were promoted from Iowa, including Matt Mervis as first base/designated hitter, Hayden Wesneski as a right-handed pitcher, and Luke Little in the left-handed pitcher role.

The Summer of Tauchman is Here!

The Cubs' offense erupted early in the game, securing a 5-0 lead by the second inning.

The first inning was explosive for the Cubs as Ian Happ smacked a 412-foot double that would've been a homer in 20 other parks, according to Baseball Savant. Cody Bellinger followed with a two-run homer but had to leave early due to a rib contusion from a collision with the Wrigley Field wall. Mike Tauchman shone brightly, hitting a three-run homer and a solo shot in the eighth for an extra insurance run.

With injuries to Happ (hamstring), Bellinger (ribs), and Suzuki (oblique), Tauchman seized the opportunity for more playing time and tonight his bat was what won the game for the Cubbies.

Jordan Wicks' Development Strides

Jordan Wicks demonstrated significant progress by pitching six efficient innings with only 85 pitches.

Admittedly, I was eager to see Wicks take on the seventh inning, especially after his impressive performance through the first six on Tuesday night. Imagine the relief a pitcher must feel being handed a 5-0 lead right after the first inning. Wicks threw strikes efficiently, setting the stage for Ben Brown to retire the Astros 1-2-3 in the seventh. Mark Leiter Jr. and Yency Almonte helped close out the game, keeping the Astros at bay. Overall, it was an outstanding performance from the four Cubs pitchers

Explaining the Cubs' Roster Moves

The Cubs made significant roster changes Tuesday before the Astros series, raising some eyebrows.

Kyle Hendricks and Drew Smyly were added to the IL with a low back issue and a right hip impingement, respectively. Hendricks going to the Injured List wasn't a surprise to me.

Hayden Wesneski and Luke Little were promoted from AAA Iowa. Wesneski's a strong righty reliever, making him a good fit to come in after a lefty starter like Wicks or Imanaga. This gives the Cubs a righty-on-righty matchup, which statistically tends to favor the pitcher since righty hitters struggle more against breaking balls from righty throwers.

The biggest surprise was designating Garrett Cooper for assignment, puzzling many fans.. Being "designated for assignment" means that Cooper was removed from the 40-man roster and can either be traded, released, or placed on waivers in the next 7 days. The Cubs brought up Matt Mervis who had been “Mashing” the ball with the Iowa Cubs. Garrett Cooper started to grow on the Superfans based on the text messages and social media posts I’ve seen. I hope he ends up on a team that we won’t play again this season because I liked him too. Best of Luck GC.

The Closer

NL Central Updates

Taking a peek around the NL Central last night, our Cubs are nipping at the Brewers' heels, just 0.5 games back. Milwaukee, sitting at a 14-8 record, boasts an impressive 10-7 against teams above .500. Meanwhile, our beloved Cubs, with a record of 14-9, are holding strong in second place. The Reds have punched above their weight to climb to third, sporting a 13-10 record. The Pittsburgh Pirates, despite a recent slump of 3-7 in their last 10 games, have slid to fourth with a 13-11 record. And the Cardinals? Well, they're propping up the rest of us from the bottom with a 10-14 record.

Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint, fellow Cubs Superfans. Our 3-4 standing in one-run games shows just how competitive this season is already. We're still in April, with plenty of baseball ahead.

The rest of the division isn't letting up either. The Reds thumped the Phillies 8-1, the Pirates eked out a win against the Brewers, and the Diamondbacks dealt a humiliating blow to the Cardinals. This flurry of activity keeps the NL Central as unpredictable and exciting as ever.

We've seen sparks of brilliance, moments of tension, and the resilience that makes baseball America's pastime. So keep the faith, stay the course, and let's ride this wave together. Here's to weathering the highs and lows and savoring every victory. The next chapter awaits, and it's ours to write.