Cubs vs. Mets Doubleheader Lineups: Can Offense Stay Hot? No Bregman or Shaw, More

Thanks to a second consecutive rain delay for the Chicago Cubs on Monday, they are set for a doubleheader matchup against the Mets this week.

Despite the injury woes continuing on Tuesday with a hamstring injury for Edward Cabrera, the Cubs have managed to steal the first game a convincing 9-6. Their offense has looked considerably better over the last week-plus, scoring at least 6 runs in each of their last four games.

Can they continue that upward momentum and steal two more to win the series? It would feel like a big break before a scary meeting in Milwaukee this weekend.

Game I Info

Who: Chicago Cubs (41-37) at New York Mets (34-43)
Where: Citi Field
When: 12:10 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup I

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

Craig Counsell is handing out some rest in the first of two. Michael Conforto will move into the starting lineup and hit second for third baseman Alex Bregman. Speaking of which, Bregman's spot on the diamond will be taken by rookie Pedro Ramírez, who is starting for the first time since June 14 against the Giants.

Matt Shaw is also out of the lineup as Conforto takes over in right. He has obviously been a major part of this offensive turnaround for Chicago, recording seven hits in his last six outings with 14 total bases. Any game where he's not in the lineup right now could prove to be that much harder. We'll see.

With that said, the Cubs can mitigate a Shaw absence if Dansby Swanson stays hot. The shortstop has FINALLY found his swing and has a four-game hit streak going. He's even coming off a 4 RBI day on Tuesday, which saw him hit a sac fly, a two-run homer, and a double that scored Carson Kelly in the eighth.

Obviously, this Cubs team still has a lot of work to do, but Swanson finally finding a groove could be a huge difference-maker.

New York Mets Lineup I

1. Carson Benge, RF
2. AJ Ewing, CF
3. Bo Bichette, SS
4. Jared Young, 1B
5. Francisco Alvarez, DH
6. Brett Baty, L
7. Marcus Semien, 2B
8. MJ Melendez, LF
9. Luis Torrens, C

On the Mound ...

Jun 17, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Javier Assad (72) throws the ball against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs – Javier Assad, RHP

Javier Assad has been nails since the Cubs were forced to turn to him amid their injury struggles. He's got a 3.89 ERA over his 11 appearances, and this improves to a 1.00 ERA over his last three outings!

While he did give up 2 runs against the Rockies in his last start, he still went 5.2 innings and didn't walk a single batter. His two performances before that also saw him throw 6.0+ innings deep of scoreless baseball.

Assad's command has been excellent so far, and he's mixed up his pitches perfectly. The Mets hit their fair share of balls on the ground, so this could be another favorable matchup for him.

New York Mets – Nolan McLean, RHP

The Cubs' surging offense will be tested in Game 1.

Nolan McLean is one of the Mets' best starters with a 3.67 ERA over his 15 games this season. He has 97 strikeouts on the year, leaning on his 95.0 mph sinker to put opposing batters away. He's a hard thrower who can also catch you off guard with some devastating offspeed stuff. His curve checks in at just 81.5 mph.

Players just haven't been able to get consistently good contact off McLean all year. They should probably look to swing early to avoid having to connect with his sweeper or curve.

Game II Info

Who: Chicago Cubs at New York Mets
Where: Citi Field
When: 6:40 CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup II

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

The Chicago Cubs will move several players around after securing the 10-3 Game 1 win. The most notable change comes right near the top of the order, where Matt Shaw will bat second behind Pete Crow-Armstrong. Red-hot over the last week or so, this will be only Shaw's fourth time this year hitting out of the two-hole.

Meanwhile, Seiya Suzuku will move up a spot and allow Alex Bregman to return and hit clean-up. The third baseman sat out the first meeting for Pedro Ramírez, who stays in the lineup as DH. Michael Busch moves from No. 3 to No. 5 against a lefty, and Carson Kelly will serve as catcher after Miguel Amaya's start.

This Cubs offense has been on a heater over the last handful of games, so let's see if this somewhat unconventional order can keep it up. If one thing is for sure, this should be an easier pitching matchup than what the team saw against Nolan McLean, which is promising!

New York Mets Lineup II

1. Carson Benge, RF
2. Francisco Lindor, SS
3. Bo Bichette, 3B
4. Mark Vientos, 1B
5. Marcus Semien, 2B
6. Francisco Alvarez, C
7. Eric Wagaman, DH
8. AJ Ewing, CF
9. Brett Baty RF

Francisco Lindor is back for the Mets, playing in his first game since April 22. He's missed the last couple of months due to a calf strain.

On the Mound ...

Jun 15, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) throws the ball against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Chicago Cubs – Shota Imanaga, RHP

With Shota Imanaga expected to go on Monday, the Cubs have seemingly decided to push him back to this evening's doubleheader.

Imanaga returned to form over his last two outings, throwing a combined 10.2 innings of work and allowing only a single run with ten strikeouts. Those games did come against the Rockies, but Colorado's offense was also humming at that time. In other words, hopefully, it was a true indication that Imanaga put his ugly end of May behind him.

It is concerning, however, that New York carries the fourth-highest hard-hit percentage in baseball. We all know that Imanaga is prone to giving opposing hitters something to smack out of the park. At the same time, the Mets do chase plenty of pitches, which should feed right into Imanaga's hand. The same was the case for the Rockies.

New York Mets – Sean Manaea, LHP

The 34-year-old veteran is having a decent year. Sean Manaea carries a 4.64 ERA over his 16 games, giving up at least two runs in each of his last three appearances. This will mark only his third start of the year, for what it's worth, as New York was primarily using him out of the pen.

Manaea mixes things up between three pitches: Four seamer, sweeper, and sinker. The latter is most often used against fellow lefties, which the Cubs will presumably stack in their second lineup of the day.

Manaea has pretty solid command and is used to working his way out of jams. Regardless, he's someone the Cubs will have to get to tonight.

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