Cubs vs. Blue Jays Lineup: Great Matchup for Peterson? Conforto Returns, More

After a feel-good series sweep at the Friendly Confines, the Chicago Cubs will now play a make-up game against the Toronto Blue Jays before hitting the road.

Can they keep the positive post-trade-deadline vibes going?

Game Info

Who: Toronto Blue Jays (54-61) vs. Chicago Cubs (64-48)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 1:20 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score, TUDN, WPPN 106.7 / TUDN

Chicago Cubs Lineup

Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
Seiya Suzuki, DH
Michael Busch, 1B
Alex Bregman, 3B
Ian Happ, LF
Nico Hoerner, 2B
Michael Conforto, RF
Dansby Swanson, SS
Miguel Amaya, C

The Chicago Cubs will go back to a somewhat more familiar look after a stretch of facing multiple lefties. Pete Crow-Armstrong will obviously lead things off, but he will also step back into center field after serving as the DH for the first time on Wednesday. We could be seeing that more over the next handful of weeks to help keep Crow-Armstrong fresh, as recent acquisition Tyrone Taylor is more than capable of holding down the fort.

Speaking of which, Crow-Armstrong continued his historic season in the series finale against the Dodgers. He led Chicago to the sweep with two home runs and an RBI double. Facing off directly with Shohei Ohtani, it sure felt like Crow-Armstrong officially closed the gap in the MVP race.

Michael Busch will move back into the three-hole, allowing Alex Bregman to bat clean-up. Ian Happ will also start again in left field, while Michael Conforto will take over duties in the opposite corner. Seiya Suzuki will slide back into the DH spot. For Conforto, this will be his first start of August.

Blue Jays Lineup

Myles Straw, CF
Kazuma Okamoto, 1B
Alejandro Kirk, C
George Springer, DH
Nathan Lukes, LF
Ernie Clement, 3B
Luis Urías, 2B
Davis Schneider, LF
Andres Giménez, SS

The Toronto Blue Jays didn't throw the towel all the way in at this year's trade deadline, but it's dangling over the ring. They currently hold a 54-61 record and sit fifth in a very competitive American League East. Their priorities appear to be set on rejoining the mix in 2027. But make no mistake, this is still an experienced group that has now won three series in a row.

On the Mound ...

Jul 27, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher David Peterson (19) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – David Peterson, LHP

David Peterson has been fantastic since his first start with the Cubs. He has a 1.52 ERA over his last four starts. The ground-ball pitcher is even fresh off striking out eight Yankees batters. The spark that the Cubs were hoping he would find with a change of scenery has undoubtedly come to fruition. And he will now get to face a Blue Jays offense that has a league-worst OPS and one of the lowest hard-hit rates in baseball.

Blue Jays – Dylan Cease, RHP

The main problem for the Cubs on Thursday? They have to face Dylan Cease. One of the best arms in the league, Cease has a 2.41 ERA over his 20 games in 2026. His strikeout rate is 36.2 percent, while his whiff rate is only a smidge below at 35.4 percent. Both rank in the 97th percentile or higher.

Cease's four-seamer sits comfortably in the high-90s, and he pairs that with a nasty slider. On the bright side for the Chicago, he's had some issues with his walks, allowing at least three batters to reach base in three of his last four games. This Cubs team is one of the best at drawing trips to first, so perhaps that could be the difference-maker this afternoon.

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