The Chicago Cubs are set to begin a weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday afternoon.
Chicago’s last game came Wednesday when the Cubs fell 2-0 to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ahead of Friday’s game, which will feature Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder against Cubs righty David Peterson, manager Craig Counsell made a few changes to his lineup.
Cubs Announce Bregman Decision
On Wednesday, Bregman started at first base and hit third in the lineup.
For Friday’s series opener, he’ll move back one spot and bat cleanup while also starting at third base. He’ll hit behind Pete Crow-Armstrong, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch.
Here’s the full Cubs lineup:
Via Underdog MLB: “Cubs 8/28 P. Crow-Armstrong CF S. Suzuki RF M. Busch 1B A. Bregman 3B I. Happ LF N. Hoerner SS P. Ramírez 2B M. Conforto DH C. Kelly C D. Peterson SP.”
Cubs 8/28
P. Crow-Armstrong CF
S. Suzuki RF
M. Busch 1B
A. Bregman 3B
I. Happ LF
N. Hoerner SS
P. Ramírez 2B
M. Conforto DH
C. Kelly CD. Peterson SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 28, 2026
Bregman’s 2026 Season
Chicago signed Bregman to a five-year, $175 million deal this past offseason after he spent one season with the Boston Red Sox. His 2026 campaign has featured some ups and downs.
He enters Friday batting .252 across 131 games and leads the majors with 599 plate appearances. He’s recorded 75 runs, 131 hits, 19 home runs and 69 RBIs while slugging .412 with a .755 OPS.
While Bregman has still put together a solid season, his hitting numbers have declined across the board, with some sitting at career lows.
Cubs Right Now
Chicago is 76-58 overall and sits firmly in second place in the NL Central, trailing the Milwaukee Brewers by 7.0 games after cutting the deficit to nearly three games just a week ago.
Nonetheless, the Cubs hold a two-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for the top Wild Card spot. That position could prove important because the higher seed hosts all three games of the best-of-three Wild Card Series.
Chicago Cubs Announce Alex Bregman Decision Before Reds Series