Cubs, Reds postponed; makeup date September 1

After the Cubs and Reds split the first two games of their series at Great American Ballpark, rain and storms in the Cincinnati area prevented the playing of the rubber game Wednesday afternoon.

The game has been postponed due to that inclement weather. It’s MLB’s first postponed game of 2023. The teams cannot make up the game tomorrow because the Reds are scheduled to play in Philadelphia, the Phillies’ home opener.

The Cubs and Reds do have a mutual off day Thursday, August 31, the day before the Cubs’ only other visit to Cincinnati this year. However, playing on that date would force the Cubs to play on 27 consecutive days, which is not allowed per the CBA. Thus we are looking at a split doubleheader in September:

This is one of the risks of the balanced schedule — many fewer possibilities for makeup dates for rainouts.

The Cubs return home Friday to take on the Texas Rangers at Wrigley Field. The Cubs had previously announced that Justin Steele would start Friday, but with this postponement it seems likely that Marcus Stroman will be pushed back to take the Friday start, with all other starters moved back a day as well. “As always, we await developments.”