Getty
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 03: Seiya Suzuki #27 of the Chicago Cubs high fives teammates after hitting a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Wrigley Field on August 03, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs are coming off a series victory over the Washington Nationals and will now begin a three-game weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday afternoon.
Clay Holmes will take the mound for Chicago against Cardinals right-hander Matthew Liberatore, while Cubs manager Craig Counsell made a few changes to his lineup ahead of first pitch.
Cubs Announce Seiya Suzuki Decision
After starting the entire series against the Nationals in right field while batting second, Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki will get the day off defensively.
He’ll remain in the lineup in the No. 2 spot but will serve as the team’s designated hitter for Friday’s game.
Ian Happ will move to left field, Pete Crow-Armstrong will start in center and Tyrone Taylor will take over in right field for Suzuki.
Here’s the Cubs’ full lineup:
Cubs 8/14
P. Crow-Armstrong CF
S. Suzuki DH
A. Bregman 3B
M. Busch 1B
N. Hoerner 2B
C. Kelly C
I. Happ LF
T. Taylor RF
D. Swanson SSC. Holmes SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 14, 2026
Suzuki’s 2026 Season
Suzuki has appeared in 104 games this season and logged 395 at-bats during his fifth season with the Cubs.
He’s currently batting .271 with 107 hits, 20 home runs and 70 RBIs while slugging .476 with an .838 OPS.
Looking at the Cubs
Chicago is playing some of its best baseball of the season right now and has slowly crept up on the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.
The Cubs enter Friday with a 71-51 record, which still leaves them 4.0 games behind the Brewers. They’re also currently holding the top NL Wild Card spot if the season ended today.
Chicago has a 6.5-game cushion over the next team outside the playoff picture with exactly 40 games remaining, putting the Cubs in a strong position to at least secure a Wild Card spot and return to the postseason for the second straight year.
Cole Sullivan Cole Sullivan is a sports journalist for Heavy.com covering the NFL, NBA, college football, and college basketball. A member of the United States Basketball Writers Association, he has written for FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, and Newsweek. Sullivan earned an Associate degree from Franklin Pierce University and a Bachelor’s degree from Lynn University, where he studied Communications and Media Studies with a focus on Sports Journalism. More about Cole Sullivan