Cubs vs. Royals Lineup: No Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong Back at DH, More

The Chicago Cubs are looking to steal the series on Sunday afternoon after a tight loss less than 24 hours earlier.

Jul 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (16) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the second straight day, the Chicago Cubs watched one of their newest starters make their debut. And, unfortunately, it didn't go nearly as well as the series opener.

Clay Holmes took the mound on Saturday and gave up 4 earned runs on six hits. It was by no means a disastrous outing, but Cubs fans were undoubtedly hoping for a little more from their biggest deadline get.

With that said, let's not forget that Holmes hasn't pitched in a major league game since May. As if a change of scenery wasn't a big enough adjustment, Holmes is going to need some time to shake off the rust. To be honest, that's likely why the Cubs were willing to bring him back to the bigs right away. Some thought he might get another rehab start or two, but you have got to be thrown into the fire eventually.

Anyway, Chicago will now turn to one of their most dependable arms for Sunday afternoon's rubber match. Playing some of the best baseball in the league as of late, a series loss to the Royals would sure be a shocker.

Game Info

Who: Chicago Cubs (68-50) at Kansas City Royals (49-69)
Where: Kauffman Stadium
When: 1:10 PM CT
Watch: Marquee Sports Network
Listen: 104.3 The Score, TUDN, WPPN 106.7 / TUDN

Chicago Cubs Lineup

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

Peter Crow-Armonstrong will suit up at DH again for the second time since the arrival of Tyrone Taylor. The first time worked in pretty well in his favor, as he smashed two homers to help lift the Cubs over the Dodgers.

Seiya Suzuki is also getting the day off with the DH spot filled and Michael Conforto holding things down in right field.

On the Mound ...

Aug 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd (16) high fives teammats in the dugout after being relived against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cubs – Matthew Boyd, LHP

The Cubs can't ask for much more from Matthew Boyd. The former All-Star has been awesome over his last seven starts, recording a 2.66 ERA. Even better, Boyd has been able to go at least 6.0 innings of work in six consecutive outings. Eating innings hasn't necessarily been this rotation's specialty this season.

To be sure, Boyd is coming off one of his roughest performances in a while. On August 3, he gave up 9 hits and four earned runs with only three strikeouts. But that also came against the Dodgers, and the Cubs were still able to walk away victorious. He should have a much easier time against this Royals offense this afternoon.

Royals – Randy Dobnak, RHP

Randy Dobnak was called up by the Royals in early July and has gone on to appear in six games, including four consecutive. He's posted an impressive 1.16 ERA in those performances and has only given up two combined runs since his first start on July 18.

Regardless, Dobnak has yet to face an offense with as much firepower as the Cubbies. He's also had a knack for allowing trips to first base, which could particularly stand out against Craig Counsell's disciplined team. He walked three batters against the Twins his last time out.

For what it's worth, Dobnak is a ground-ball guy. He mixes things up between a sinker, sweeper, and change-up, regularly targeting the bottom of the zone.

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