This year’s lineup features many of the same big names as last year’s team that came within one game of qualifying for a Wild Card spot. Thursday’s game also marks the official start of the Craig Counsell era in Chicago after he came to lead the Cubs after nine seasons managing the Milwaukee Brewers.

Starting pitcher

Justin Steele – The lefty is coming off a breakout year on the North Side in which he appeared in the All-Star game and placed fifth in Cy Young Award voting. He finished 2023 with a 16-5 mark and recorded 176 strikeouts and 36 walks in his 30 starts.

Batting lineup

1. Ian Happ, left field – Happ led all left fielders last year with 12 outfield assists, which earned him his second-straight Gold Glove award. He also knocked in 21 home runs and 84 RBI on offense.
2. Seiya Suzuki, right field – The Japanese national is entering his second season with the Cubs after hitting 20 homers, 74 RBI and recording a .285 batting average.
3. Cody Bellinger, center field – Bellinger recently signed a three-year deal worth $80 million to stay in Chicago after a 26-home run season in which he hit .307.
4. Christopher Morel, designated hitter – In only his second major league season last year, the 24-year-old Morel improved his totals of hits, home runs, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
5. Dansby Swanson, shortstop – Entering his second season with the Cubs, Swanson is coming off a year in which he hit 22 home runs and 80 RBI.  He’s also coming off a second-straight Gold Glove and All-Star nod.
6. Michael Busch, first base – Busch is one of the new faces for the Cubs who came to Chicago in a trade with the L.A. Dodgers. He hit 27 homers in Triple A last season.
7. Nico Hoerner, second base – Hoerner is coming off a season in which he was only the fifth-ever second baseman to win a Golden Glove as a Cub with 411 assists to lead the majors. At the plate, he also hit nine home runs, 68 RBI, 43 steals and recorded a .283 batting average.
8. Nick Madrigal, third base– The former White Sox player will start his second season with the Cubs at third base. In 92 games on the North Side last season, Madrigal hit a .263 average, with two home runs, and 28 RBI.
9. Yan Gomes, catcher – The 36-year-old veteran is back for his third season with the Cubs after the team picked up his option for 2024. He played 116 games last season, the second-most in his career and hit over .300 in clutch situations.

Remaining Roster

Rotation: Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Jordan Wicks, Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad

Bullpen: Adbert Alzolay, Hector Neris, Julian Merryweather, Mark Leiter Jr., Yency Almonte, Drew Smyly, Jose Cuas, Luke Little

Bench: C Miguel Amaya, 1B Garrett Cooper, IF Miles Mastrobuoni, OF Mike Tauchman

Injured list: pitcher Jameson Taillon (back), infielder Patrick Wisdom (back), and pitcher Caleb Kilian (right shoulder).

The game is set to start at 6:35 p.m. and air on ESPN.

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