Cubs vs. Cardinals Lineup: Edward Cabrera Returns! No Michael Busch? More

The Chicago Cubs will welcome Edward Cabrera back to the mound in a big final matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals.

May 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A rubber match at Wrigley Field between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals? What more can you ask for!

The Cubs had one of their ugliest outings in quite some time on Saturday, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals 8-4. At the same time, even the Wrigley faithful couldn't help but tip their cap to the long-time rival, as rookie Joshua Báez dominated with three home runs in his MLB debut.

Assuming his historic start doesn't continue today, the Cubs should have a good chance of securing another series win. They were right on the Brewers' heels over the last week, so you don't want to lose that momentum now!

Game Info

Who: St. Louis Cardinals (62-61) vs. Chicago Cubs (72-52)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 2:15 PM CT
Watch: ABC, ESPN
Listen: 104.3 The Score, TUDN, WPPN 106.7 / TUDN

Chicago Cubs Lineup

1. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
2. Seiya Suzuki, DH
3. Alex Bregman, 3B
4. Ian Happ, LF
5. Nico Hoerner, 2B
6. Pedro Ramírez, 1B
7. Dansby Swanson, SS
8. Michael Conforto, DH
9. Miguel Amaya, C

Craig Counsell is making some moves ahead of this final matchup with the Cardinals. Alex Bregman is sliding back into the three-hole, opening up the cleanup spot again for Ian Happ. The Top 4 will not feature Michael Busch, who is seemingly the next Cubs player to get a long-awaited day off.

Speaking of which, the versatile Pedro Ramírez will be the one to take over for Busch. The rookie has played the first three times this season, but this will be his first start at the position. It's another reminder of how helpful having him in the dugout has been, and why he likely will not lose much playing time even when Matt Shaw is ready.

Dansby Swanson returns after his rest day and pushes Nico Hoerner back to second base. Michael Conforto also stays at DH, while Carson Kelly surprisingly sits again in favor of Miguel Amaya.

St. Louis Cardinals Lineup

1. JJ Wetherhold, 2B
2. Ivan Herrera, C
3. Alec Burleson, 1B
4. Jordan Walker, RF
5. Joshua Báez, LF
6. Nathan Church, CF
7. Masyn Winn, SS
8. Jimmy Crooks, C
9. Blaze Jordan, 3B

On the Mound ...

Jun 11, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockiesat Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Edward Cabrera, RHP

Easily the biggest story of the day: Edward Carbera is back in action. The Chicago Cubs originally had Shota Imanaga scheduled for this series finale, but Craig Counsell decided to throw Carbera back into the rotation for his first start since June. It was a somewhat surprising decision considering (1) Cabrera's first-half struggles and (2) the Cubs' improved pitching in recent weeks.

Nevertheless, Cabrera showed the kind of high-level swing-and-miss stuff that he had in Miami during his rehab assignment. If he can tap back into that down the stretch, the Cubs could have themselves a true X-factor come playoff time.

With that said, Counsell is going to have to work with a relatively short leash. I know Cabrera is trying to get back in the swing of things, but his 5.10 ERA says it all. Things have gone downhill quickly for him during some starts, and this isn't the time of year when you can simply let him work through mistakes in real time.

Cardinals – Hunter Dobbins, RHP

Hunter Dobbins has been solid for the Cardinals with a 3.40 ERA in nine appearances. He's allowed a combined 3 earned runs in his previous two outings, going at least 5.0 innings of work in each. Dobbins did pitch against Chicago a few weeks ago, however, and found far less success. The Cubbies got to him with seven hits and 4 earned runs.

Dobbins can come at batters in several ways and has some pretty good offspeed stuff. The only problem for him is that the command seems to come and go. He's walked three batters in each of the last two games. Speaking of which, you aren't going to see him force many Ks. Dobbins is a ground-ball guy, which can bode well for this patient and disciplined Cubs offense.

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