Cubs Shuffle Pitching Rotation Ahead of Cardinals Finale and Trade Deadline

Craig Counsell and the Cubs are making some adjustments to the rotation, as the Cubs head into the final weekend before the August 3rd trade deadline.

Shota Imanaga was scheduled to pitch Thursday's day game finale with the Cardinals but will now start Friday at Wrigley Field for the opener vs the Yankees. Javier Assad will make the start Thursday and is assumed to be the other arm joining the Cubs rotation, with Jameson Taillon DFA'd earlier this week.

Imanaga is now scheduled to start Friday vs. the Yankees.

Cubs have probables for NYY as Imanaga, Peterson, Rea. https://t.co/tywKoRjlWN
— Meghan Montemurro (@MegMontemurro) July 29, 2026

As Meghan Montemurro reports, the Cubs are rolling with Imanaga, David Peterson, and Colin Rea for the weekend series against the Yankees. This lets Imanaga get another day of rest and avoid having a quick turnaround for a 1:15 pm start on Thursday. Instead, the 32-year-old gets to make a 1:20 start at home vs the Yankees and hopefully adds to what has been an impressive string of starts.

Since allowing 3 home runs to the Mets on June 24th, Imanaga has a 1.55 ERA in his last five starts and has only allowed 2 home runs during that span. Giving him another day to prepare for a home start isn't a bad idea, but it also sets up the Cubs' rotation nicely post-trade deadline.

For what it's worth, both Javier Assad and Shota Imanaga last pitched on July 25 in the team's 11-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Imanaga went 6.0 innings of action in that outing before Assad finished things out. Nevertheless, this means both will enter Thursday with the same amount of rest.

Javier Assad Moves in to Rotation ... For Now

Jul 25, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Javier Assad (72) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Javier Assad will now pitch the Cubs' getaway game on Thursday and is now slated to be the starter for the Cubs' first game after the trade deadline. It's unlikely whoever the Cubs acquire, assuming they add another starter to the mix, will be ready to pitch on Monday.

Assad can now make that start and allow the rest of the rotation to pitch as normal. Then, Chicago can potentially slide the Cubs' new arm into Assad's role. It seems like a smart move by the Cubs – give their veteran arm another day of rest while planning ahead for next week.

Speaking of which, we rounded up some of the latest trade rumors on Wednesday. A handful of big names are expected to move this weekend, and the Cubs have a clear need for front-end rotation help and back-end bullpen arms. Let's see what they can cook up!

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