The Chicago Cubs will look to win the series Sunday when they take on the Kansas City Royals.
Chicago won Friday night, but after dropping Saturday’s matchup 6-3, the door remains open for the Royals to steal the series against one of the National League’s top teams.
Ahead of first pitch, Cubs manager Craig Counsell made some notable lineup changes, including one involving star outfielder Seiya Suzuki.
Cubs Announce Suzuki Decision
After starting the first two games of the series in right field, Counsell has decided to give Suzuki the day off and remove him from the starting lineup.
Pete Crow-Armstrong will also serve as the designated hitter for the second straight game. That will leave the outfield with Tyrone Taylor in center field, Ian Happ in left and Michael Conforto in right.
Cubs 8/9
P. Crow-Armstrong DH
M. Busch 1B
A. Bregman 3B
I. Happ LF
M. Conforto RF
N. Hoerner 2B
D. Swanson SS
M. Amaya C
T. Taylor CFM. Boyd SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 9, 2026
Suzuki’s 2026 Season
Suzuki has been one of the consistent anchors of the Cubs’ offense this season in his fifth MLB season.
He’s batting .269 across 101 games and 383 at-bats, with 63 runs, 103 hits, 19 home runs and 66 RBIs. He’s also slugging .470 with a .831 OPS.
Cubs Right Now
Chicago enters Sunday’s game with a 68-50 record. While the Cubs are trying to close the gap on the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central, they remain 5.5 games back.
That said, they firmly hold the top Wild Card spot in the NL. If the season ended today, Chicago would host a best-of-three series at Wrigley Field against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Chicago Cubs Announce Seiya Suzuki Decision Before Royals Series Finale