Cubs vs. Reds Lineup: Dansby Swanson Returns! Clay Holmes On the Mound, More

The Chicago Cubs will begin a series against the Cincinnati Reds with their starting shortstop back in the mix.

Aug 12, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Cubs spent their day off at the historic Churchill Downs watching Alex Bregman's horse take home the crown.

Luck has to be on the Chicago Cubs side, right?

Game Info

Who: Chicago Cubs (85-67) at Cincinnati Reds (71-82)
Where: Great American Ball Park
When: 5:40 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, 1B
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Ian Happ, LF
6. Nico Hoerner, SS
7. Michael Conforto, DH
8. Carson Kelly, C
9. Dansby Swanson, SS

Welcome back, Dansby Swanson!

Ahead of Friday night's game against the Reds, the Chicago Cubs activated Swanson from the IL and optioned BJ Murray back to Triple-A Iowa. The shortstop made a pretty speedy recovery from his oblique strain that sidelined him on August 17. There were some concerns that he wouldn't be back until the postseason kicked off.

To be sure, Swanson's bat has been pretty cold all season long, but the defensive impact is undeniable. He gives the Cubs one of the best infields in the game, and this unit was an essential part of building a big lead for the top Wild Card spot.

Speaking of which, that lead has now evaporated. The Phillies and Cubs are tied heading into this evening with an 85-68 record. The only reason Chicago sits above them in the Wild Card race is because of winning the regular-season series. Obviously, yes, having this tiebreaker advantage is huge, but the Cubs would love to make sure it doesn't matter by stringing together some wins over the next couple of weeks.

Could the return of Swanson be exactly what they need to make that happen?

Cincinnati Reds Lineup

1. Carlos Jorge, CF
2. Elly De La Cruz, SS
3. Sal Stewart, 1B
4. Tyler Stephenson, DH
5. JJ Bleday, LF
6. Eugenio Suarez, 3B
7. Hector Rodriguez, RF
8. Jose Trevino, C
9. Matt McLain, 2B

On the Mound ...

Aug 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Clay Holmes (25) pitches against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Clay Holmes, RHP

What a perfect pitcher to have on the mound for Dansby Swanson's return! The ground-ball thrower has mostly been as good as advertised for the Cubs since coming over at the trade deadline. He has a 3.46 ERA in seven starts, and we've even seen him have three outings with 5+ strikeouts. Not bad!

With that said, he has yet to face the Reds this season, and their offense can be frisky. They have the fourth-most homers in baseball and are very good at not chasing pitches. It should make for an interesting chess match.

Reds – Chase Burns, RHP

Chase Burns has some of the best strikeout stuff in the game. The second-year arm has a 32.1 percent whiff rate and a fastball velo that sits in the league's 92nd percentile. Likewise, he couples that with a nasty slider that consistently finds the bottom right-hand corner of the zone.

The Cubs face Burns at the end of August and mustered 2 earned runs off him, striking out seven times. It's not nothing, but it also speaks to just how effective he can be. With that said, don't expect him to be in the game long. The Reds have pulled him pretty early in his last handful of outings.

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