Neris worked around a hit to pitch a scoreless ninth inning and record the save in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Mets. Shota Imanaga dominated the Mets across seven innings, and then Neris shut things down to secure his fifth save of the season. The veteran righty has pitched well since taking over closing duties from Adbert Alzolay, as Neris has allowed just one earned run over his last five appearances, lowering his season ERA to 3.27. While things could change at some point, it looks like Neris is locked in as the closer in Chicago for now.
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Neris worked around a hit to pitch a scoreless ninth inning and record the save in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Mets. Shota Imanaga dominated the Mets across seven innings, and then Neris shut things down to secure his fifth save of the season. The veteran righty has pitched well since taking over closing duties from Adbert Alzolay, as Neris has allowed just one earned run over his last five appearances, lowering his season ERA to 3.27. While things could change at some point, it looks like Neris is locked in as the closer in Chicago for now.
Imanaga (5-0) tossed seven scoreless innings to earn the win in Wednesday's 1-0 victory over the Mets. He allowed three hits and a walk, while striking out seven. Imanaga continued the amazing start to his MLB career, as he now has a stellar 0.78 ERA across 34.2 innings to go along with 35 strikeouts. The lefty has allowed zero earned runs in four of his six appearances so far, and the most he's allowed in an outing was the two earned runs he gave up back on April 20. While it seems unlikely that Imanaga will be able to keep up this incredible pace, it does look like he's already cemented himself as a fantasy star this season. He'll look to keep rolling in his next scheduled start, which is penciled in for Tuesday against the Padres.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that everything went well during Steele's (hamstring) rehab start with Triple-A Iowa, and the left-hander will meet with the team Friday after a Thursday workout, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports. The 28-year-old hurt his hamstring in late March, but he's in the latter stages of his rehab program. It was only the first rehab outing for Steele, but if he checks out well Friday it's possible his next start comes with the big-league club.
Canario is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets. Canario is back on the bench Wednesday after going 1-for-2 at the dish in Tuesday's 4-2 loss. He's now been excluded from the lineup five times in the past six games and doesn't look as though he'll benefit much from the absences of fellow outfielders Cody Bellinger (ribs) and Seiya Suzuki (oblique).
Hendricks (back) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Tennessee on Thursday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports. Hendricks landed on the 15-day injured list last week with a lower-back strain but has already made enough progress in his recovery to resume game action. He could need just the one rehab start before returning from the IL, though given his 12.00 ERA and 2.10 WHIP over five outings, Hendricks' performance Thursday may hold significant weight in whether or not he's activated next week.
Tauchman went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Mets. Tauchman had half of Chicago's hits in the sluggish loss, pushing his season average up to .307 in the process. With Seiya Suzuki (oblique) and Cody Bellinger (ribs) both on the injured list, Tauchman has seen plenty of playing time recently, and the veteran has responded. He should remain a solid short-term fantasy asset, though his long-term outlook is a bit murkier, as it depends on how quickly the other outfielders are able to return to the lineup.
Alzolay (1-3) allowed three unearned runs on two hits across an inning of work to take the loss Tuesday against the Mets. Alzolay should have had a 1-2-3 sixth inning, but a Dansby Swanson throwing error gave the Mets life, and they took advantage. A single and a three-run home run by DJ Stewart quickly broke open a 1-1 tie, and New York hung on for the 4-2 win, which saddled Alzolay with his third loss of the season. While it wasn't all his fault Tuesday, it's been a struggle overall for the righty, as he blew four saves in the early going to get yanked from the closer's role. Hector Neris stepped in to replace Alzolay, and it doesn't look like things are going to change anytime soon.
Morel went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Mets. The steal was his second of the season, and both pilfers have come in his last eight contests. Morel is struggling to get going with his bat however, and through 29 games he's slashing a meager .215/.292/.374 with four homers, 14 RBI and 17 runs.
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