Chicago Cubs: Bregman is back as weather continues to complicate Wild Card picture

The Chicago Cubs, as things sit right now, are the No. 2 seed in the National League Wild Card standings. They are a game behind the San Diego Padres and a game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies, who are in the No. 3 spot and on the verge of clinching a playoff berth.

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While the NL playoff teams will soon be all set, the final Wild Card seeding is still very much in the air and, for the Cubs, this upcoming weekend series will play a major role in how the playoff picture plays out.

That’s why there’s been so much angst and argument regarding this upcoming three-game series between the Cubs and the Boston Red Sox—two teams who have already clinched playoff spots.

Storms and the decisions made

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With a big storm moving into Boston, MLB has made moves to re-work the schedule around the rain. They scheduled a doubleheader for today (Friday) and even moved the starting time of game 2 about a half-hour earlier to try and avoid the looming weather issues.

Efforts were reportedly made to move the Cubs-Red Sox series to Chicago, but both the Padres and Phillies reasonably opposed the idea. The Chicago-Boston series finale on Sunday, however, could be moved to Tampa Bay.

Every effort is being made to get this upcoming series in—in tact and on-schedule—because it most likely will help determine the Wild Card portions of the upcoming postseason schedule.

Along with the efforts from MLB to prioritize playing these games, the Cubs are making sure to prioritize winning.

Alex Bregman back in the lineup

And that definitely appears to be the case with the team’s decision to put third baseman Alex Bregman back into the lineup just five days after a foul ball off the bat of Michael Busch struck his face and gave him an ugly black eye and multiple facial fractures.

In the first game of Friday’s double bill, Bregman is slated to hit third as the designated hitter with Matt Shaw penciled in as the third baseman.

Manager Craig Counsell had told media that the three-time All-Star had already begun hitting and running activities as his injuries were fairly fresh and that he looked good doing so. However, it’s still somewhat of a surprise to see him back in the lineup for this upcoming game.

His return can be seen as a mix of the fierce competitor chomping at the bit to get back into action and, also, the Cubs’ dire need to jump start a flat-lining offense before the start of the playoffs.

Bregman has been, arguably, the second best player in all of baseball—behind teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong—since the All-Star break and a real spark plug for an offense that looked dominant. Since the Mid-Summer Classic, he’s hitting .296 with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs while posting a WAR of 3.4. On the season, he’s hitting .262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs, all while playing stellar defense at third.

Bregman coming back in Boston also plays into an intriguing side storyline involving his return to the city he left after just one season. Rather than play through his three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox, he opted to exercise his player option at the end of the 2025 season, opening the door for his 5-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs.

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