Cub Tracks meatloafs Motown

Welcome to today’s episode of Cub Tracks news and notes™, a greatest-hits collection of Chicago-style beat writers and bloggers, ground from #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball, overheated, steeped in writers’ tears, and then cold-brewed overnight for maximum flavor.

Ok, Taillon on the hump, Cubs still looking for Motown meatloaf and not a Motown miltown in the gonfalon bubble. Have to watch that loss column. Looking good early as the Candyman lines a bullet into the left-field corner.

And then the soft white underBelli:

But Taillon couldn’t hold on, and Kerry Carpenter happened. New game.

All roads lead to Adbert.

On to the Steel City.

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LHP Brandon Hughes (left knee inflammation)

Expected return: TBD

Hughes reported no issues after throwing a second bullpen session on Aug. 21. The lefty underwent surgical debridement of his left knee on June 28 and then headed to Arizona to begin his rehab process. A distal femoral osteotomy was the original recommendation, but an in-person review by the same specialist determined that the debridement was the better course of action. There is no firm timetable for Hughes’ return. — MLB.com.

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune*{$}): Chicago Cubs are watching the standings in a tight NL wild-card race. Takeaways from their series in Detroit. “This is what’s so much fun to me about baseball — getting into this time of the year and rooting against the teams around you,” David Ross said.
• Dawn Klemish (MLB.com*): Gomes backs Taillon in Cubs’ latest display of resiliency. “... a window of opportunity seems to open for them in every game; they’ve just got to be ready to roll when it does.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times*): Cubs keeping options open for September call-ups when rosters expand. “The Cubs have two spots open on the 40-man roster, so that won’t be a limiting factor in September.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Hmmmmmm: Jordan Wicks scratched from his start at Triple-A Iowa. “To be sure, this doesn’t mean Wicks would be coming up to take Smyly’s spot on Sunday...” Evan Altman adds on.
• Dawn Klemish (MLB.com*): Drew Smyly endures rocky return to Cubs’ rotation. “You know, these games should be fun; they’re meaningful. And I just have to play better.” Evan Altman opines. Maddie Lee has thoughts.
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Chicago Cubs need the bullpen to weather the storm in the stretch run. “The bullpen is something you’ve got to navigate. It’s hard and you try to keep guys healthy.”
• Anthony Franco (MLB Trade Rumors*): Brewers, Cubs among teams to discuss Pete Alonso with Mets before deadline. “Even if the Cubs consider Mervis a likely everyday player going into ’24, they could certainly kick him over to designated hitter to accommodate a player of Alonso’s caliber.”
• Cody Stavenhaven (The Athletic {$}): What happened to Javy? Báez faces ex-Cubs teammates with his magic diminished. “The Tigers knew the risks that came with Báez’s game, but they also seemingly believed in the talent.”
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN): How 2019 MVP Cody Bellinger revived his career with Cubs. “I never got to get back to who I was until this offseason.”
• James Neveau (NBC Sports Chicago*): ESPN insider ranks Cubs’ farm system as one of tops in baseball. “According to the ranking from ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel {$}, the Cubs currently own the second-best farm system in baseball, behind only the Baltimore Orioles in that category.”

Food For Thought:

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