The Rundown: Cubs’ Offense Heating Up, Imanaga Twirls Gem, Hoyer Seeking ‘Real Options’ to Bolster Rotation

“Who’s up for game three? I can barely see the bourbon drowning next to me and I just lost it all.” – That Was a Crazy Game of Poker by O.A.R.

Greetings from water-logged Milwaukee, where I finally have electricity and internet after about 36 hours of misery. I felt like I was living on Little House on the Prairie, though I did read a couple of books and with a snifter or two of bourbon by my side. Time moves incredibly slowly when you are digitally disconnected from the rest of the world.

I didn’t get to see the final two games of the Cubs-Phillies series, but it looks like Nico Hoerner fully intends to challenge the single-season WAR record based on Wednesday’s box score. The Cubs are 9-9 on the strength of consecutive wins in Philadelphia, but they still anchor the bottom of the NL Central, two games behind the Pirates. Chicago won 11-2 last night thanks to Hoerner and another impressive start by Shōta Imanaga. The team’s offense is starting to heat up, and Imanaga’s resurgence is an equally positive accomplishment.

Unfortunately, I don’t have much more to say until I watch the replays of the three-game set, and I need to get this post done because we’re expecting another round of thunderstorms before daybreak. The Cubs are off today but return to Wrigley Field to host the Mets on Friday. Now if I can only find my raincoat and galoshes so I can finish that dang ark.

Cubs News & Notes

• The Cubs and Padres appear to be among the likeliest to sign ($) free agent starter Lucas Giolito. Chicago’s front office reportedly projects Giolito, 31, as more of a back-of-the-rotation starter. He’s missed all of spring training and most of April so that might further temper expectations. His addition would likely bump one current starter to the bullpen, which also has its fair share of injuries.
• Evan reported two days ago that the Cubs have been “eyeing” Giolito.
• Jed Hoyer said he is going to come up with “real options” to bolster the team’s depleted rotation. He did not go into any detail, however.
• Imanaga tied a team record with 26 whiffs in his 11-strikeout effort.
• Hoerner is “the engine that makes the Cubs go.”
• A minor swing adjustment by Hoerner is paying huge dividends for the second baseman, and for the team.
• Hoerner and Matt Shaw combined to go 6-for-9 with seven RBI in last night’s win.
• Reliever Porter Hodge will miss the remainder of the season because of a flexor strain which will require UCL surgery.
• Dylan Carlson has elected free agency rather than accept a minor league assignment.
• Kevin Alcántara entered play Wednesday night averaging one home run every eight at-bats. He leads the International League with seven taters, and has never hit that many in his career before May 31.

Ball Four

“It rained so hard the day I left…”

The rain is coming down so hard in Milwaukee that the roof is leaking inside American Family Field!

🎥: Sportsnet | #BlueJays50 pic.twitter.com/WCcOO1Gbrr

— Blue Jays Nation (@thejaysnation) April 16, 2026

Central Intelligence

• Pittsburgh (11-7): Brandon Lowe became the first player in Pirates history to record back-to-back games of five or more RBI.
• Cincinnati (11-7): Rookie Sal Stewart is the youngest Reds player to have two homers and six or more RBI in a single game, besting Johnny Bench for the honors.
• St. Louis (10-8): Jordan Walker extended his hitting streak to 11 games in the Cardinals’ 5-3 win over the Guardians.
• Milwaukee (9-8): Outfielder Christian Yelich will be out until mid-May at the earliest with a groin strain. The 14-year veteran was placed on the IL and Greg Jones was called up from Triple-A to take his roster spot.
• Chicago (9-9): Veteran minor league pitchers don’t often get the type of press ($) that Vince Velasquez gets. Then again, most minor leaguers never threw a complete-game, three-hit shutout in The Show with 16 strikeouts. Even better, the flamethrowing righty is a fantastic quote. Give him the heater, Vinnie.

How About That!

A bizarre bounce helped the Brewers end their six-game losing streak.

A walk-off double by Jackson Merrill against the Mariners capped a five-run 9th inning comeback to give the Padres their seventh straight win.

MLB is investigating a claim by Boston outfielder Jarren Duran that a fan told him to “go kill himself” during Tuesdays Red-Sox-Twins game.

The Tigers and rookie Kevin McGonigle have agreed to terms on an eight-year contract extension worth $150 million.

Baseball honored Hall of Fame infielder Jackie Robinson on Tuesday, 79 years after his first big league game for the Dodgers.

Astros starter Tatsuya Imai is having great personal difficulties adjusting to the MLB lifestyle. Imai is the first player the Astros have signed directly from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, which created a learning curve for both parties this spring.

Former Cubs pitcher Dan Serafini claims in an interview for ABC’s Dateline that he did not murder his in-laws, and that the U.S. justice system has failed him. The full interview will air on Friday.

Three from the Bill Chuck Files

1. Aaron Judge hit two homers on Monday for the Yankees. It was his 47th multi-homer game with New York, breaking a tie with Mickey Mantle for the second most in team history. When Judge hits two, the Yankees have won 39 times. Babe Ruth is the club leader with 68 multi-homer games.
2. Mike Trout hit two homers in the same game as Judge, the 31st multi-homer game of his career.
3. The Mets have lost eight straight after falling 8-2 to the Dodgers last night, and they’ve scored more than two runs just once during that streak. New York has been outscored 44-12 in those eight games. The Cubs are definitely catching the Metropolitans at the right time.

Apropos of Nothing

We’ve been hit with 7.03 inches of rain in the last 36 hours. That’s 247% greater than Milwaukee’s monthly average over the previous 30 Aprils.

Extra Innings

The Cubs will be in great shape if Imanaga can pitch like this all season.

Shota Imanaga through 4 starts:

5 IP, 7 K
5 IP, 4 K
6 IP, 9 K
6 IP, 11 K (career high)

He leads ALL qualified starters in K% (37.8) this season! 🐻 pic.twitter.com/yvaCkf7RqU

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) April 16, 2026

They Said It

• “Everyone uses projection and models and things like that to kind of determine [salary]. My agency [Creative Artists] does the same thing. So it’s like, ‘All right, cool, give me something that’s relatively close to that, and let’s go and get it.’” – Giolito
• “Even to this day, like, I still have the confidence in my fastball. Here, please f**king hit it. It’s always going to be a fastball. I can be like, ‘Dude, you’re not going to touch my shit today. And if you do, then I’m still going to come after you with the [heater].” – Velasquez
• “Somehow, our run-scoring numbers aren’t that bad. But I think [when] we look up and down the lineup, you have so many guys that are so far below career norms, especially in [slugging] — I look at it as a real opportunity. I’m almost excited about it because we’re 17 games in [and] only a couple guys are sort of above their projections.” – Hoyer
• “The schedule’s not gonna stop. We gotta find ways to come up with new guys and come up with real options. Hopefully, some of those guys can step up.” – Hoyer

Thursday Walk-Up Song

I’m betting against forty days and nights, though the thunder booming behind me as I write this seems like it is clearly mocking me.