Chicago Cubs Lineup (3/12/19): Almora Leads Off, Schwarber Cleans Up, Chatwood Starting

Albert Almora Jr. is once again leading off and playing center field, followed by Javy Báez at short and Kris Bryant at third. Kyle Schwarber cleans up in left, Ben Zobrist is at second, Jason Heyward is in right, and Victor Caratini will be handling catching duties in this one.

Ian Happ will serve as the designated hitter way down in the eight-hole, which is a little strange. But he’s mired in a spring slump and the Cubs would like to see him get some thing going, so perhaps this shakes things up a little. Jim Adduci will take first base and finish out the lineup in this one.

Tyler Chatwood is getting the start against the Reds and he’ll have a chance to build the case that he’s made some real improvements over the winter. His stats aren’t the only thing to watch, though, as the eye test hasn’t been quite as encouraging as the lack of walks might indicate.

First pitch from Sloan Park is scheduled for 9:05pm CT and can be heard on MLB.com, but the weather has been pretty bad all day and some earlier games were banged.