Chicago Cubs Lineup (5/22/26): Happ Batting Cleanup, Conforto DH, Taillon Tossing
The Cubs have been playing like hot trash over the better part of two weeks, but the Astros have been doing so all season. Rather than belabor that point any further, I’ll just get into what will be some abbreviated analysis. Not only am I short on time, but there’s not much left to say about this lineup that hasn’t already been dissected six ways from Sunday.
Jameson Taillon is on the bump attempting to rebound from what was statistically the worst start of his career. He was forced to wear it against the White Sox, eventually allowing eight runs on eight hits and a walk. Five of those hits were homers, the first time in his career he’s allowed that many. It was only the second time he’s allowed more than three, with the first coming almost exactly a year earlier against the Mets.
The good news for Jamo is that the wind is blowing in this afternoon. That’s bad news for the Cubs, but it’s not like they’ve exactly been relying on power lately. Craig Counsell remains unfazed by either his team’s lack of offense or your cries for him to shuffle the order, so this is a familiar group. Nico Hoerner leads off at second, Michael Busch is at first, Alex Bregman is at third, and Ian Happ cleans up in left. Seiya Suzuki plays right, Michael Conforto is the DH, Carson Kelly catches, Pete Crow-Armstrong is in center, and Dansby Swanson is at short.
This club desperately needs a get-right game, and some individuals could use a boost more than others. PCA looks to have taken up residence inside his own head and has to find a way to break that free lease before he ends up trapped. Depending on how things go today, we may get our first look at highly-touted prospect Pedro Ramírez, who was just called up to fill the spot created when Matt Shaw went to the IL.
The Cubs are facing 26-year-old righty Spencer Arrighetti, whose name must be said while making finger purses. He and Bregman both hail from New Mexico and went to college in the bayou, though Arrighetti attended Louisiana-Lafayette rather than LSU. A sixth-round pick in 2021, Arrighetti spent just over two seasons in the minors before debuting in 2024. He made 21 starts out of 28 total appearances, posting a 4.53 ERA in the process.
Most of last season was lost to a broken thumb, but he’s bounced back well and has just a 1.50 ERA through six starts. That number is probably going to take a big hit soon, however, as his 4.92 expected ERA and .231 BABIP against tell us. If you’re not into predictive metrics like those, how about a 13.8% walk rate that is the sixth-worst in MLB among 150 pitchers with at least 30 innings?
Arrighetti has walked three or more batters in all but one start this season, and he’s handed out four or more free passes four times already. His saving grace is that he’s only allowed one home run by leveraging a low arm angle and big extension to avoid the worst outcomes. Between the lack of homers and his propensity for working low in the zone, you’d think Arrighetti was a big-time grounder guy, but that’s not the case. In fact, his 38% rate falls in the 28th percentile.
It’s all about staying away from barrels and hard contact, which he does with an east-west repertoire that keeps him out of the middle of the zone. That also results in a lot of walks, but Arrighetti has avoided being stung by that so far. His sweepy 76-77 mph curveball is his favorite pitch, but it only makes up 31% of his repertoire. His 93 mph four-seam has sinkerish properties with good arm-side, and it’s the only pitch he deploys evenly to batters on both sides of the plate.
The 78 mph sweeper is next, and it will overlap with the curve a little bit, though it has a lot less depth and tends to land more to the glove side. He likes to throw his 92 mph sinker in on the hands of righties, and his changeup is thrown mainly to lefties. There’s also a seldom-used cutter at 87 mph that has actually been his best pitch in terms of relative value.
Arrighetti is an effectively wild junkballer who has pitched to pretty even splits in the past. His tendency to spray everything all over the place is more reminiscent of a prep pitcher still trying to get a feel for how his limbs work in concert, making him the perfect opponent for a patient Cubs team. Then again, this group has been pressing so much lately that Arrighetti might go out and dominate them in as frustrating a manner as possible.
Here’s to hoping he issues a bunch of walks that the Cubs actually cash in on with timely hitting. First pitch is at 1:20pm CT on Apple TV and The Score.
Friday afternoon at @ofcwrigleyfield. pic.twitter.com/sP0yzalAVw
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 22, 2026
