Cubs vs. Marlins Lineup: Imanaga Must Be Better, Can Bregman Keep Cooking? More

After splitting their series with the Milwaukee Brewers thanks to a dominant pitching performance from Kevin Gausman, the Chicago Cubs are jetting off to South Beach.

Shota Imanaga will be on the mound to start the series against a Marlins team that is hoping to stay above .500. They are 4-6 in their last ten meetings.

Game Info

Who: Chicago Cubs (79-62) vs. Miami Marlins (71-70)
Where: loanDepot Park
When: 6:10 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup

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

The Chicago Cubs are rolling with the exact same order as their series finale against Milwaukee. This will include Carson Kelly suiting up at catcher for the second straight game, as well as Michael Conforto hitting eighth as the designated hitter.

The top of the order has been among the best in baseball in recent weeks. Of course, Pete Crow-Armstrong has continued to put on a show with seemingly endless lead-off home runs. But Alex Bregman would likely be the talk of baseball if he wasn't sharing the field with PCA every game.

The third baseman has returned to his All-Star form. He is hitting .387 in his last seven games, which include 12 RBIs and 5 home runs. Overall, in the last month, Bregman has been a near .300 hitter and has repeatedly come through in big moments. Even with the Cubs losing their spot as the Wild Card leaders, Bregman should be making fans feel better about the possibility of a true postseason run.

Miami Marlins Lineup

1. Heriberto Hernández, LF
2. Otto Lopez, SS
3. Griffin Conine, RF
4. Javier Sanoja, 3B
5. Agustin Ramírez, DH
6. Esteury Ruiz, CF
7. Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B
8, Jared Serna, 2B
9. Brian Navarreto, C

On the Mound ...

Aug 23, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) walks in the dugout after being relieved for against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Shota Imanaga, LHP

Shota Imanaga has something to prove. Craig Counsell confirmed that there is currently no plan to remove him from the rotation, despite continued problems with the long ball. While it hasn't been as bad as Jameson Taillon earlier this season, it doesn't feel dramatic to say that it's become somewhat close.

In his last outing against a rough Reds team, he let up 6 earned runs in 5.0 innings. Cincy smashed three homers off Imanaga, making it the second time in four starts that an opponent has sent that many deep.

The good news is that Imanaga has continued to limit his walks this season and is pretty darn good at not loading the bases. Nevertheless, as long as he is on the mound, the opposing team almost always feels like they have a chance to strike. The Cubs need to see that change fast.

Marlins – Jason Junk, RHP

The Miami Marlins' Jason Junk has been decent this season. He has a 4.11 ERA in his 103 innings of action, and the Marlins have seen him allow 2 earned runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts.

To be sure, Junk doesn't necessarily go deep into games and isn't a threat to strike out many batters. But he walks very few and can generate his fair share of ground balls with his movement. The Cubs will want to lay off his slider and changeup because Junk will send some hittable fastballs toward the top of the zone.

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