Cubs vs. Reds Lineup: Matt Shaw's First Start in Months, Tyrone Taylor In, More

The Chicago Cubs blew it ... again.

While David Peterson's outing wasn't fantastic, it was enough to put the Cubs in a position to beat the Cincinnati Reds. Alas, the bullpen came in and continued its concerning implosion. Did the Cubs' bats try their hardest to complete the comeback? Yes, but a Daniel Palencia homer led to a major insurance run for the Reds in the ninth.

Let's se if the Cubs' pitching staff can avoid another disaster this afternoon.

Game Info

Who: Cincinnati Reds (64-71) at Chicago Cubs (76-59)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 1:20 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup

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

The Chicago Cubs are mixing things up with a lefty on the mound. Alex Bregman and Michael Busch will swap spots, with Busch moving into cleanup. Meanwhile NIco Hoerner slides to the fifth-hole, giving up the sixth spot for a very familiar face!

Matt Shaw is back in the starting lineup for the first time in two months. Called up earlier this week after some successful rehab stints, fans should expect him to be in the lineup pretty consistently moving forward.

Speaking of which, we're likely to see Shaw in this exact fashion. Pedro Ramírez has been too good to take out of the lineup and is best suited at second base. This means Shaw will continue to spend a fair share of his time in right field, as Seiya Suzuki can simply move into the DH spot. We may also see him suit up at third base in the near future, taking some of the physical toll off Alex Bregman.

Regardless, the Cubs are undoubtedly glad to have him back in the dugout. Shaw looked more than comfortable pinch-hitting on Friday, hitting a double in his one at-bat and coming around to score.

Meanwhile, Tyrone Taylor will also play in place of Ian Happ, which has become the trend against lefties. Taylor has been pretty solid since arriving in the Clay Holmes deal, hitting .323 in his limited action.

Cincinnati Reds Lineup

1. Hector Rodríguez, RF
2. Elly De La Cruz, SS
3. Sal Stewart, 1B
4. JJ Bleday, LF
5. Tyler STephenson, DH
6. Eugenio Suárez, 3B
7. Jose Trevino, C
8. TJ Fridl, CF
9. Matt McLain, 2B

On the Mound ...

Aug 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Kevin Gausman (12) 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 – Kevin Gausman, RHP

Kevin Gausman is coming off a masterpiece against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The veteran allowed a mere three hits and struck out six in 7.0 innings of work on August 24. He leaned heavily on his four-seamer, throwing 62 fastballs and just 27 splitters. The latter is typically his signature pitch.

Overall, the Cubs have to be pretty pleased with what they have seen from Gausman thus far. Aside from his one 6-run outing against the Nationals, he hasn't forked over more than 3 earned runs since coming aboard.

Reds – Andrew Abbott, LHP

Andrew Abbott holds a 4.15 ERA this season over his 145.1 innings. He is a serviceable southpaw who will toss tons of off-speed stuff. This helps him limit hard contact and keep the run count relatively low. Likewise, he can typically eat about 6.0 innings of action.

With that said, the Cubs had little problem with him on July 12. They scored 4 runs and drew three walks early, forcing him out of the game after just 4.0 innings. Nevertheless, he's a dependable arm for the Reds. Scoring runs likely will not be as easy as it was in the series opener.

Sign up for our free newsletter to stay up-to-date with all things Chicago Cubs.

Add us as a preferred source on Google