Cubs vs. Astros Lineup: Pedro Ramirez Starts! Ian Happ Sitting Again? More

The Chicago Cubs will sit Ian Happ for the second-straight game, making room for one of their top prospects to get a start.

Mar 17, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Pedro Ramirez against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

I guess one shake wasn't enough!

Craig Counsell is set for another new look on Sunday after his first lineup scramble failed to produce different results. The Cubs dropped Saturday's matchup with the Astros 3-0 and have now gone seven consecutive games without a victory. This marks their longest losing streak since the 2022 campaign.

Can they finally snap out of their funk and avoid getting swept yet again? A likely still sold-out Wrigley Field will have its fingers crossed.

Game Info

Who: Houston Astros (22-31) at Chicago Cubs (29-23)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 1:20 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
2. Nico Hoerner, SS
3. Michael Busch, 1B
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Michael Conforto, DH
6. Seiya Suzuki, RF
7. Moisés Ballesteros, DH
8. Carson Kelly, C
9. Predo Ramírez, 2B

Pete Crow-Armstrong will stay at lead-off after being one of the few Cubs to hit his way on base yesterday. However, Counsell's first change comes immediately after, with Nico Hoerner moving out of the clean spot and into the two-hole. This will push Alex Bregman into fourth for the first time this season. All things considered, it's a somewhat surprising choice, but he does have a three-game hitting streak on his hands.

Seiya Suzuki will also stay near the back of the order after coming up empty again yesterday, while Carson Kelly will rejoin the starting group for Miguel Amaya. The biggest change of all, however, is a first-ever start for Pedro Ramírez!

The No. 2 prospect in the Cubs' system was called up earlier this week and made his MLB debut with one empty at-bat in Saturday's loss. An excellent all-around contributor in Triple-A this season, Ramírez will start at second and push Nico Hoerner over to shortstop.

While too much weight shouldn't be placed on his shoulders, Ramírez undoubtedly has what it takes to provide a spark to this offense. He was slashing .312/.395/.547 with a career-high OPS of .942 during his time in Iowa. He offers solid power and even better contact. Plus, Ramírez already has 19 stolen bases on the year. Every game can feel like a drag during a slump like this, but Ramírez entering the mix gives fans a big reason to tune in.

Did you notice who is missing for the second-straight day? That's right, Ian Happ will sit again as Michael Conforto remains in left field. Dansby Swanson also gets the day off to make room for Ramírez in the infield. Two daily starters in the dugout!? Drastic times call for drastic measures!

Houston Astros Lineup

1. Brice Matthews, CF
2. Jeremy Peña, SS
3. Christian Walker, 1B
4. Isaac Parages, DH
5. Jake Meyers, CF
6. Cam Smith, RF
7. Zach Dezenzo, LF
8. Christian Vázquez, C
9. Nick Allen, 3B

The Cubs will catch a break this afternoon as Yordan Alvarez is not in the lineup. The power hitter left yesterday's game early and will not receive a start in the series finale.

On the Mound ...

May 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Cubs – Shota Imanaga, LHP

The fastball-throwing Shota Imanaga was lit up by the Milwaukee Brewers in his previous start. He allowed a staggering eight earned runs over his 4.1 innings of work on nine hits. While we can't rule out his troubles seeping over into this afternoon, the Astros should be a pretty good matchup for the lefty. They are prone to reaching for their fair share of pitches, and Imanaga continues to sit in the 98th percentile with a 39.0 percent chase rate. Also, while Imanaga is always a threat to give up the long ball, he will get to dodge Houston's best threat this afternoon.

With all that said, the Astros have been pretty decent against lefties this season with a .243 batting average. This is also slightly lower than their .247 clip against righties.

Astros – Peter Lambert, RHP

Peter Lambert has been perfectly serviceable for the Astros this season. He's got a 3.57 ERA over his six appearances, which includes a whiff rate that sits at 28.3 percent. The righty uses a good mix of pitches, leaning most on his mid-90s fastball and a high-80s change-up. With that said, he will give the Cubs plenty of pitches to hit, and they have to take advantage of his relatively high hard-hit rate. It's time to break out of the slump!

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