Chicago Cubs Lineup (5/24/26): PCA Leads Off, Happ Still Benched, Ramírez at 2B, Imanaga Starting
The Cubs haven’t scored a run against an opposing starting pitcher since May 18 against the Brewers, a stretch of four games, and they haven’t scored in the first 4 innings of a game since the day before that. They’ve scored in only three of their last 45 innings, all at home. Calling the offense abysmal during this stretch would be an understatement, which is why I won’t call it that. We’ve moved past the point of this being just a hiccup, as that would be more like a stretch of 2-3 games. With seven straight losses and a 2-11 record since winning 10 in a row, the Cubs are adrift.
It helps that the Indy 500 is about to start, and I’m going to be checking out the Enhanced Games this evening, so the Cubs are merely background noise today. Maybe that means they’ll do something worth celebrating. Shota Imanaga is on the mound with a different lineup behind him, starting with Pete Crow-Armstrong in the leadoff spot. Nico Hoerner is playing short and batting second after hitting cleanup for the first time in four years yesterday.
Michael Busch is at first, Alex Bregman is at third, Michael Conforto is in left, and Seiya Suzuki is in right. Moisés Ballesteros is the DH, Carson Kelly does the catching, and Pedro Ramírez makes his first MLB start at second base. It’s a good thing Kevin Alcántara isn’t in the lineup, because the best thing for his development is to sit on the bench and get occasional pinch-hit opportunities rather than playing every day.
They’re up against righty Peter Lambert, whose game I am not taking the time to break down for you. That’s lazy of me and I apologize for the lack of effort, but I’ve got better things to do today. Besides, it hasn’t mattered who the Cubs have faced lately. First pitch is at 1:20pm CT on Marquee and The Score.
Last one at home.
Watch the game live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/xlib3pzPmE
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 24, 2026
