Cubs vs. Reds Lineup: No Matt Shaw, Can Shota Imanaga Bounce Back? More

The Chicago Cubs are set for a rubber match against the Reds, who will have their best pitcher on the mound.

Aug 23, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) greets teammates 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

The Chicago Cubs are set for a rubber match against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Their offense has been on fire over the last two days, scoring a combined 25 runs. The majority came in Saturday's 17-5 victory, which also featured three PCA homers.

Let's see if they can keep the good vibes going!

Game Info

Who: Cincinnati Reds (64-72) at Chicago Cubs (77-59)
Where: Wrigley Field
When: 6:40 PM CT
Watch: NBC
Listen: 104.3 The Score

Chicago Cubs Lineup

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

Closing things out against a righty, the Chicago Cubs are switching to a pretty typical look. Ian Happ will return to the lineup and slide in at fifth, while Nico Hoerner will move back down to sixth.

Seiya Suzuki is also moving back into right field, meaning Matt Shaw will sit after getting his first start in two months yesterday. This also means that Michael Conforto returns, getting another go at DH.

As for Pedro Ramírez, he remains near the bottom of the order. The second baseman has continued to cook with an expanded role, putting together another two-hit day for the Cubs in their blowout win. He now has a multi-hit game in three of his last six games.

Cincinnati Reds Lineup

1. Dane Myers, CF
2. Elly De La Cruz, SS
3. Sal Stewart, 1B
4. Tyler Stephenson, C
5. Eugenio Suarez, DH
6. JJ Bleday, LF
7. Matt McLain, 2B
8. Hector Rodríguez, RF
9. Edwin Arroyo, 3B

On the Mound ...

Aug 16, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) looks on from the dugout against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Shota Imanaga, LHP

Shota Imanaga is trying to bounce back from an ugly performance against the Seattle Mariners. He lasted only 2.0 innings, giving up a pair of runs and five hits before Craig Counsell wisely pulled him.

You can typically tell early on whether or not Imanga is locked in. And this isn't the time of year to let him work through any struggles that set in from the jump. He continues to give up way too much hard contact, allowing eight homers in his last five starts.

Reds – Chase Burns, RHP

The Chicago Cubs are set for one of their toughest pitching matchups of the season. Chase Burns has a 2.77 ERA in his 25 games, which has led to a 14-3 record.

His K rate sits at 28.9 percent thanks to a four-seamer that comfortably sits in the high-90s. He also couples that with a deadly slider, which comes with a 51.7 whiff rate. In other words ... don't expect another 17 runs this evening.

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