Why Is Alex Bregman Out of Lineup Today as Cubs Go for Pirates Sweep?

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Alex Bregman is out of the Cubs lineup today as Chicago goes for a sweep of the Pirates. Here’s why the star third baseman is not starting.

Alex Bregman is not in the Chicago Cubs starting lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pedro Ramírez gets the start at third base, hitting eighth, with Seiya Suzuki at designated hitter and Michael Conforto in right field. Jameson Taillon takes the mound opposite Braxton Ashcraft at PNC Park. The Cubs entered the day at 59-45. The Pirates sat at 53-52.

The Cubs listed Bregman among the available players, and no injury or illness appears on the series report that does include Matt Shaw’s hand sprain. The absence fits the pattern of earlier rest days this season, including one in a June doubleheader against the Mets when Ramírez also filled in at third. Bregman has previously noted soft-tissue issues from hard runs to first base. Without a team statement beyond the card, the move reads as a scheduled day off in a packed stretch.

Bregman’s Season Numbers and the $175 Million Deal

Through 102 games, Bregman is hitting .237 with a .331 on-base percentage, .351 slugging, and .682 OPS. He has 10 home runs, 44 RBI, 50 runs, and 94 hits in 403 at-bats, 15 doubles, one triple and two steals. Those figures sit well below his career .270 average and .832 OPS. A slow start brought questions after a late-June play in which he did not sprint to first. He later cited past soft-tissue injuries. Production ticked up around the All-Star break, including a multi-homer stretch in mid-July. Bregamn’s dDefense has stayed solid.

Bregman signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs during the offseason, as reported by the Associated Press. The deal includes a full no-trade clause, no opt-outs, and roughly $70 million in deferred money that places the average annual value into the $30 million range.

Against Ashcraft, the sample is small with five at-bats, two hits including a double, no home runs, no RBI, no walks and one strikeout for a .400/.400/.600 line, per ESPN batter-versus-pitcher data. The two met earlier this season. Ashcraft entered Sunday with a 9-4 record and 3.95 ERA.

Cubs Expectations and Remaining Path

Chicago enters Sunday at 59-45, second in the National League Central and about six games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. Offense has ranked solidly in runs and on-base percentage for Chicago while pPitching has been mid-pack amid rotation and bullpen injuries. Preseason models projected the Cubs for the high-80s in wins, numbers the club is roughly matching, according to StatMuse team data. The team’s Wild Card odds hover in the 75-80 percent range in recent updates, while the division remains a steeper climb.

Young contributors such as Pete Crow-Armstrong, strong infield defense and a habit of comeback wins have kept the club competitive. Rotation depth and uneven production from some veterans remain the primary variables. Most remaining-season models still point to a mid-to-high 80s win total and a postseason berth, with health and second-half contributions from the core determining how far the run extends.

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