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The pitch clock is working. Evidence:
Ladies and gentlemen, game times for the first 19 spring games of MLB baseball with a clock (minutes):
— Travis Sawchik (@Travis_Sawchik) February 26, 2023
154
135
159
151
174
167
146
153
149
153
143
186
186
149
152
183
136
141
155
Avg: 2h36mhttps://t.co/9XLzyBzVTc
Saturday’s Cubs game is one of the 186-minute games noted above. That’s three hours, six minutes, and that was the LONGEST game time of the day.
Other important news:
In other injury news, Seiya Suzuki (left oblique) is getting imaging today. Cubs should have an update tomorrow.
— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) February 26, 2023
Here are today’s particulars.
Cubs lineup:
Madrigal 3B, McKinstry 2B, Mervis 1B, Rios DH, Morel SS, Tauchman LF, Velázquez RF, Barnhart C, DeLuzio CF
You didn’t think any of the regulars were going to make the bus ride to Glendale, did you? Glad the Cubs are giving Matt Mervis some playing time before he departs for the WBC.
Dodgers lineup:
Rojas SS, Freeman 1B, Taylor LF, Muncy 3B, Barnes C, Peralta RF, Thompson CF, Busch 2B, DeLuca DH
Pity, I was kind of hoping LA would start Jason Heyward against the Cubs.
Justin Steele was supposed to start this game for the Cubs, but:
Change in Cubs pitching plans: Javier Assad will start today instead of Justin Steele. Steele has general arm fatigue, per the Cubs. Plan is to give him a few days, have him throw a bullpen and get him back in the rotation.
— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) February 26, 2023
Might not be that bad:
Justin Steele felt the arm fatigue yesterday after throwing a "touch-and-feel" bullpen two days ago.
— Meghan Montemurro (@M_Montemurro) February 26, 2023
Ross says they're "erring on the side of caution" with Steele but expects him to throw a bullpen and make his next start. "He's thrown a lot so far."
In addition to Javier Assad this afternooon, Nick Neidert, Michael Rucker, Manuel Rodriguez, Brendon Little and Bailey Horn will throw for the Cubs.
Robbie Erlin will start for the Dodgers. Other Dodgers on today’s pitching list: Dylan Covey, Brusdar Graterol, Shelby Miller, Alex Vesia, Tayler Scott, Wander Suero and Adam Kolarek.
Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. Here’s a list of providers currently carrying Marquee. There is a radio broadcast via the Dodgers channel, AM 570 in Los Angeles and on the MLB app. If you miss the live TV broadcast, this game will be rebroadcast on Marquee at 7 p.m. CT. Outside the Cubs market territory, this game will be rebroadcast on MLB Network at 11 p.m. CT.
Please note that during spring training, Gameday doesn’t usually go pitch-by-pitch as it does during the regular season — usually, it will update after each at-bat.
Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.
Please visit our SB Nation Dodgers site True Blue LA. If you do go there to interact with Dodgers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first-pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
Discuss amongst yourselves.