CUBS LINEUP — All that waiting, all those games. The winning streaks, the losing streaks, the mountains of injuries, the MVP campaign, the breakouts, the letdowns … it all leads up to tonight. So how are we feeling, Cubs fans? Nervous? Ready to go? Annoyed that this game starts at 9:00 pm CT? “Yes” to all, I’d wager.
The Cubs playoff path this year matches last season almost exactly: the Cubs start with the Padres in the Wild Card round (this time, in San Diego) while the Brewers wait patiently for the NLDS. Matthew Boyd is taking the mound for the Cubs in Game 1 tonight, and he’ll square off against Padres righty Michael King.
Here’s a look at the Cubs lineup for Game 1 of the 2026 NL Wild Card series between the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres.
Chicago Cubs Lineup:
Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF Alex Bregman, DH Michael Busch, 1B Seiya Suzuki, RF Ian Happ, LF Nico Hoerner, 2B Pedro Ramirez, 3B Carson Kelly, C Dansby Swanson, SSThe only two Cubs players with more than just a couple of at-bats against Michael King are Alex Bregman (7-8, two 2Bs, 3BBs, K) and Michael Conforto (1-11, HR, 3BB, 2K). The former is in the Cubs lineup tonight, albeit at DH (as expected), not third base. The latter is on the bench.
Bregman, of course, is the DH after suffering multiple facial fractures roughly, oh … nine days ago. The team would be better with Bregman at third base (plus whomever Craig Counsell preferred at DH), but I’m just happy Bregman is well enough to start. At this point, given his incredible second half, that feels like a huge win. And remember, despite his injury, Bregman had a MASSIVE day at the plate on the final day of the regular season.
Beyond that, Michael Busch moves up to third, with Suzuki cleaning up. With a righty on the mound, Ian Happ is out in left field. If and when the Cubs face a lefty this postseason, Tyrone Taylor will be starting. And, indeed, if the Padres bring in a lefty at some point for the Busch-Suzuki-Happ part of the lineup, you might see Taylor pinch-hit anyway. The same may go for Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez.
Carson Kelly is the man behind the plate (he may well start all of these games), and Dansby Swanson turns the lineup over.
This series is first to two wins, so it’s incredibly important to win tonight. And to that end, the Cubs cannot enter the late innings in a deficit, because that Padres bullpen, even with some injuries, is elite.
Go Cubs.
San Diego Padres Lineup:
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF Samad Taylor, LF Manny Machado, 3B Ty France, 1B Jackson Merrill, CF Austin Hays, DH Xander Bogaerts, SS Jake Cronenworth, 2B Luis Campusano, CPitching Matchup:
Chicago Cubs: Matthew Boyd, LHP
Matthew Boyd’s season was a bit all over the place. He began the year as the Cubs Opening Day starter, but multiple injuries (including knee surgery) derailed the entire first half of his season. But since returning to the Cubs on June 25, Boyd has compiled a 3.42 ERA over 17 starts and 102.2 IP. His strikeout rate over that stretch has been concerningly low, while his walk rate has been just about average. But the overall rate of hard contact has been solid, and he’s not giving up a ton of barrels.
Perhaps more importantly, Boyd finished the season on a high note. Over his final six starts, Boyd allowed just 13 earned runs (3.28 ERA) with an elite 1.9% barrel rate and an above-average 45% groundball rate. His last start of the year, against the Marlins, was once of his best this season: 7.0 IP, 5H, 1ER, 2BB, 3K (52.4 GB%, no barrels).
Boyd has faced the Padres twice already this season, both a while ago. Here’s how those two games went:
@SDP: 4.0 IP, 8H, 5ER, 2BB, 4KvsSDP: 5.0 IP, 8H, 3ER, 0BB, 2K
Not a ton of success there, obviously, but those starts were back in April and June.
Working in Boyd’s favor is the fact that the Padres have been weaker against left-handed pitching this season than they have been against righties. Indeed, that reality, plus the fact that Boyd is on regular rest tonight, is likely what led to Craig Counsell’s decision to roll with Boyd in Game 1. Well, that and the fact that all of the Cubs other options are perhaps equally imperfect (Gausman is maybe still hurt, Holmes has been struggling, Imanaga gives up homers, Peterson doesn’t seem to be trusted with the start).
However, I do think we’ll see another one of the Cubs starters potentially follow Matthew Boyd tonight. More specifically, I don’t think Boyd will go more than two times through the order unless he is REALLY REALLY REALLY cooking. And even then … I’m just not sure the Cubs will wait. Craig Counsell prefers to be too early than too late. And with so many other starters available, including fellow lefties like Shota Imanaga and David Peterson, it might be 3-4 innings max for Boyd tonight.
Beyond that, you can expect to see Ryan Rolison, Daniel Palencia, Jacob Webb, and Ryan Zeferjahn get the most critical spots. If you’re seeing anyone else … something may have already gone sideways.
San Diego Padres: Michael King, RHP
Michael King’s second season in San Diego, and first under his new contract, went very, very well: 32 starts, 185.0 IP, 3.21 ERA. The peripherals weren’t nearly as strong (4.40 xERA, 4.13 FIP), but the results speak for themselves.
Notably, King finished his season with a bit of a clunker against the Dodgers (4.0 IP, 6H, 5ER, 2BB, 5K), but it’s never easy to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles, and that was otherwise by far his worst start of the season. I wouldn’t exactly expect that tonight in San Diego.
Perhaps more to the point, if last year is any guide, I wouldn’t expect the Padres to leave him in long enough for something like that to happen. While the Cubs have other starters available to fill in early innings, the Padres have arguably one of the best bullpens in baseball. And we will see a HEAVY dose of those arms, including Mason Miller, this week. No doubt about it.
For his career, King is a split-neutral righty, with reverse splits this season. He has not faced the Cubs yet this year.
Broadcast Info:
First Pitch: 9:00 pm CT How to Watch Today’s Cubs Game: NBCSN, Peacock How to Listen to Today’s Cubs Game: 104.3 The Score Matchup: Chicago Cubs (0-0) vs. San Diego Padres (0-0)Cubs vs. Padres – Key Injuries:
INJURY REPORT Cubs vs. Padres · NL Wild Card Series · Petco Park CUBS Trent ThorntonAnkle discomfort · 15-Day ILRP 60-DAY IL Justin SteeleElbow surgery (UCL revision repair)SP Shelby MillerTommy John surgeryRP Tyler AustinKnee surgery (patella debridement)1B/OF Hunter HarveyTriceps inflammationRP Cade HortonTommy John surgerySP Porter HodgeTommy John surgeryRP Riley MartinStrained elbow (flexor)RP Ben BrownStress reaction in neckSP Phil MatonKnee surgery (partially torn patellar tendon)RP PADRES Casey MizeSprained ankle · 15-Day ILSP Jeremiah EstradaShoulder impingement · 15-Day ILRP 60-DAY IL Bryan HoeingElbow surgery (flexor tendon)RP Ramón LaureanoHip surgery (torn labrum)OF Lucas GiolitoElbow inflammationSP Luis RengifoTorn knee ligament (ACL)INF/OF Rodolfo DuránStrained forearmC Injured list entering the NL Wild Card SeriesCubs vs. Padres – Petco Park Weather Report
Location: San Diego, CaliforniaTemperature: 73 degreesWind: Blowing out to center, weak
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