Cubs vs. Marlins Lineup: A Chance to Clinch, Conforto Moves Up, Ramirez at 3B, More

The Chicago Bulls will begin life without Alex Bregman. The star third baseman continues to deal with the aftermath of a facial fracture, leaving the Bulls with some big shoes to fill in their final two series of the regular season.

Nevertheless, the Cubs should feel fortunate when looking at their remaining schedule. Matchups with the Marlins and Red Sox, while far from a cakewalk, are at least easier than what their Wild Card competition will see in the coming days.

Speaking of which, the Cubbies are playoff-bound for the second straight season with a win tonight. Exact seeding will remain up in the air, but securing a berth is on the line!

Game Info

Who: Miami Marlins (76-80) at Chicago Cubs (87-69)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 6:40 CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Projected Chicago Cubs Lineup

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

With Alex Bregman sidelined, the Chicago Cubs will go with a new face in the cleanup spot. Designated hitter Michael Conforto will get the honor of moving up the order to begin the series against Miami. It's a somewhat surprising call by Craig Counsell, but it continues to speak to the trust he has in the veteran. Conforto has been in a solid groove over his last 15 games, hitting .300 with 7 RBIs and six walks.

Facing a righty, Ian Happ will remain in the fifth spot with Nico Hoerner following him up. Pedro Ramirez also continues to find playing time in the infield, manning third in place of Bregman. Look out for Matt Shaw to also see some action at the position in the coming days.

Finally, Carson Kelly and Dansby Swanson will both return to the order after first sitting in the finale against the Reds. Swanson has certainly looked healthy in his first two games back, tallying six total bases with three hits. Especially with Bregman out, the Cubs would love to see their other savvy infield vet keep this up.

Projected Miami Marlins Lineup

1. Heriberto Hernandez, LF
2. Otto Lopez, SS
3. Kyle Stowers, DH
4. Javier Sanoja, C
5. Augustin Ramirez, C
6. Esteury Ruiz, CF
7. Griffin Conine, RF
8. Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B
9. Jared Serna, 2B

On the Mound ...

Sep 16, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) delivers the ball during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Shota Imanaga, LHP

Shota Imanaga is trying to prove he can be trusted come playoff time. The southpaw was failing at that mission a few weeks back, but he is closing stronger than arguably any arm in this Cubs rotation.

Imanaga has allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in three straight contests. He's also gone 6.0 innings of action in each meeting, performing far more like his vintage self. The Cubs are also only three Imanaga starts removed from a gem against this same Marlins team. The 33-year-old held them to just a single run on three hits. Can he copy and paste that showing tongiht?

Marlins – Janson Junk, RHP

Janson Junk is 6-9 this season with a 4.50 ERA. Like Shota Imanaga, he has been very good all season at limiting walks, but he is far more susceptible to giving up loads of contact. In fact, the Marlins have only kept him in for 3.0 innings in back-to-back meetings.

The good news for the Marlins is that Junk had one of his better outings against the Cubs on September 4. He went 5.0 innings and allowed only a single run on three hits. The Cubs saw tons of sliders and plenty of changeups and curveballs during that meeting. Breaking balls have been a real problem for this offense at times, so perhaps Junk will have similar luck.

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