As the Chicago Cubs wrap up their Spring Training preparations in Arizona, the team and new manager Craig Counsell appear to have set the starting rotation for the opening week of the regular season.
Counsell has taken great care to prepare ace Justin Steele for the Opening Day game against the defending World Champion Texas Rangers. Steele was given an extra off day and threw just one inning in Friday’s split-squad game against the Giants.
The lefty, now 28 years old, will go up against Nate Eovaldi in the Texas season opener.
Kyle Hendricks threw his final pitch of Spring Training in the fourth inning of Sunday’s contest with the Seattle Mariners, exiting the game with no walks and two runs allowed in 3.1 innings.
With an off day set for Friday, Hendricks is likely to take the mound for game two of the Rangers series, opposite Jonathan Gray, although neither team has officially announced a starter.
The Sunday series finale looks to be a matchup of two young lefties, with the Cubs set to trot out Jordan Wicks, the team’s first-round pick in 2021, against the Rangers’ Andrew Heaney.
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Broadcast Note: Due to WZBD’s commitment to Westwood One and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the Cubs’ Opening Day broadcast can be heard Friday afternoon. Saturday and Sunday’s games will not air, but coverage of the Cubs will resume with the team’s home opener on Monday, April 1st.