AP Photo/Melissa Tamez

The Rundown: Up-and-Down Cubs Need Pre-ASB Surge, Gray Among Probable Deadline Targets, Brewers Place Woodruff on 15-day IL

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterJuly 6, 2026

“Now and then it keeps you running; it never seems to die. The trail’s spent with fear, not enough, living on the outside.” – Windfall by Son Volt

The Cubs entered the week riding the surge of 250,000 sky rockets only to hit mostly nothing but duds in losing two of three to the Cardinals. Talk about your momentum killers. Chicago did have its signature moment of the season, losing 17-1 on Friday two days after drubbing the Padres 23-3. Assuming the Cubs do not win the World Series, analysts will point to that two-game swing as a microcosm of this season. Pythagoras giveth, and Pythagoras also taketh away. It’s rare to score 24 runs over two games and walk away with a mere +4 run differential. Then again, the 2026 season will be defined by a number of anomalies that will be top talking points while conducting this year’s end-of-season autopsy.

Things are still rosy, however, despite the rocky weekend. Yesterday’s 6-4 win kept the Cubs atop the Wild Card standings because they own the tiebreaker with the Phillies, and they’re still 1.5 games up on the Cardinals and Marlins. Chicago’s North Side Baseballers trail the Brewers by six games if you’re still going to sleep with visions of a division title in your head. The Cubs are also on pace to win 90 games, the magic number Jed Hoyer and Craig Counsell often refer to as the team’s success/failure demarcation point.

The Cubs need a pre-break surge and they have a chance to gain on their division foes while heading to Baltimore for an interleague match with the Orioles. St. Louis is hosting Milwaukee for a five-game set that includes a Tuesday doubleheader. The Reds are hosting the Phillies, in case you’ve started your scoreboard watching. The Cubs then follow Philadelphia into Cincinnati before MLB takes its All-Star break. Counsell would probably like to see his team take four of the remaining six games before dismissing his roster for its four-day break. I’d rather see the Cubs sweep the six games and then start collecting starters and relievers in this year’s trade market.

If only things were that easy.

Cubs News & Notes

Ball Four

Hoyer said he would leave no stone unturned in his quest to add pitchers.

Central Intelligence

How About That!

MLB is propagandizing its desire to implement a salary cap via commercial advertisements between innings of many games.

All-Star selections often come with a fair share of snubs, and this year is no different. Gray, Brice Turang, and Willson Contreras probably have the biggest reasons to gripe, however. Several players who were selected are injured and may be replaced.

Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff is going on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation.

A handful of MLB umpires are retiring after this season, including CB Bucknor and Laz Diaz.

The Astros are surging and could make a late playoff run, just like they did in 2005. That team went to the World Series, where they lost to the White Sox.

For what it’s worth, I loved the way Ozzie Guillen summoned closer Bobby Jenks to the mound in that series.

Draft prospect Kolby Stringer bats with welding gloves, uses a barn to throw in between starts, and has struck out 570 batters in his high school career.

Three from the Bill Chuck Files

  1. There are 26 first-time All-Stars on this year’s squads, including four rookies: the Tigers’ Kevin McGonigle, the Reds’ Sal Stewart, and the Guardians’ Parker Messick and Travis Bazzana.
  2. Chris Sale now has 500+ strikeouts with three different teams.
  3. Aroldis Chapman hit a historic benchmark this weekend. He now has more strikeouts (1,366) than any reliever in MLB history. He surpassed Hoyt Wilhelm, who retired in 1972, five days shy of his 50th birthday. Chapman has more career punchouts than Jameson Taillon (1,132), Matthew Boyd (1,082), Edward Cabrera (543), Shōta Imanaga (391), and Colin Rea (561).

Extra Innings

Dansby Swanson is so valuable on defense. This play is reminiscent of Swanson’s charged performance in last year’s Wild Card series against the Padres.

They Said It

  • “Of course, our play is going to dictate a level of aggressiveness [at the trade deadline], and needs as well. We’ve got [about a month] to go. It’ll be interesting to see how we play during that time. That will determine a lot of what we do before August 3.” – Hoyer
  • “Every time of year is big, but it’s a time of year where teams are kind of deciding what direction they want to go. You want to seize every opportunity within that. I like where our group’s at right now.” – Nico Hoerner
  • “Look, Alex [Bregman] is a really good player. I’m optimistic that we’ve got a really good second-half or 70 games ahead of us with Alex. It’s coming. It’s going to come. He’s too good a player.” – Counsell

Monday Walk-Up Song

Pedal to the medal with your eyes on the games and not next week’s break. Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must. Just never quit.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterJuly 6, 2026
Cubs Insider © Copyright 2026, All Rights Reserved