CINCINNATI — The Cubs’ catching depth has quickly dwindled in the past week. The team scratched Yan Gomes from the lineup on Tuesday with left oblique tightness, three days after Willson Contreras left a game with right hamstring tightness.

Rookie P.J. Higgins, who the Cubs called up on Sunday, was scheduled to start at catcher regardless, with Gomes originally serving as the designated hitter. But with Gomes out, Frank Schwindel moved from first base to DH, and Alfonso Rivas slid into the lineup at first.

“We’ve had a long talk with Frank,” Cubs manager David Ross said of the emergency catcher. “Frank’s ready to get behind the dish if we need it.”

Schwindel caught some in the Royals’ farm system, early in his minor-league career. But he hasn’t caught in a game since 2015.

Contreras is nearing a return, but likely as a pinch hitter and DH before the Cubs ask him to squat behind the plate.

“I’m feeling good,” Contreras said Tuesday afternoon. “I’m glad I made the decision to come out of the game on Saturday. I’d rather the last two days than a month [out].”

Contreras took batting practice on Tuesday – and hit fungos to Schwindel. Contreras said the team would evaluate him after a post-BP run to determine if he’d be available to pinch hit Tuesday and potentially return to the starting lineup Wednesday as the DH.

Contreras’ injury created an opportunity for Higgins, who had been with the team as a member of the taxi squad in recent weeks.

Higgins had an eventful reintroduction to the big-leagues. After his debut season was cut short by a right forearm strain that landed him on the 60-day IL last June, he hit a three-run triple Sunday, in his first game back on the roster.

Injury update

Cubs middle infielders Nico Hoerner (right ankle sprain) and Nick Madrigal (low back strain) went through a full range of baseball activities – hitting, throwing, running, fielding – in a pregame workout Tuesday.

While Ross said on Monday that Hoerner was “close” to a return, Madrigal is expected to go on a rehab assignment.

Cubs reliever Michael Rucker (turf toe) is progressing on a throwing program.

Rehab assignments

Cubsinfielder David Bote (left shoulder surgery) and outfielder Clint Frazier (appendectomy) were scheduled to play a full game with Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.

Frazier is eligible to return from the 10-day IL whenever the Cubs decide to activate him, but Bote, on the 60-day IL, can’t return for another couple weeks.

Quotable

Before first pitch Tuesday, the Reds presented Cubs lefty Wade Miley with the 2021 Reds Most Outstanding Pitcher award.

“Obviously, I’m very honored to get something like this,” Miley told the Sun-Times. “Anytime you want any kind of reward, as long as it’s not for being a bad person, it’s good, right? And I’ve got a lot of good memories here.”

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Chicago Bears 2021 second-round pick Teven Jenkins feels right at home at right tackle

Teven Jenkins is finding his role on the Chicago Bears with a lot of other new offensive linemen. Jenkins, the second-year offensive tackle, is practicing at right tackle during OTA’s. The former Oklahoma State product missed most of his rookie campaign out with injury.

With the Bears trading up to draft Jenkins at 39 last year, expectations by fans and the media were that he would play left tackle. (Left tackle traditionally is considered a more difficult position than right, because they protect a right-handed quarterbacks blindside.)

During voluntary minicamp, reports were out Jenkins was practicing at right tackle, while Larry Borom was at left tackle. Jenkins told reporters Tuesday after practice he was happy playing right tackle.

“It feels good. You know, that’s what I played mostly at college,” Jenkins said. “It is comfortable, it’s nice and I do look forward to getting reps at right tackle.”

It’s Jenkins understanding the Bears will be playing him at right tackle this season. A reporter asked him if he worries about the prestige of left tackle vs right tackle. That distinction doesn’t matter to Jenkins, who said he just wanted to play where he elevates the Bears’ offense.

“I play wherever they need me,” he said. “Get in where you fit in.”

Slimming down to speed up

The offense under Luke Getsy is up-tempo and fast-paced this season versus Nagy’s scheme, Jenkins said. Jenkins worked on losing weight in the offseason to he could be more mobile on the offensive line for their outside zone run blocking scheme.

Jenkins has slimmed down to 325-pounds vs his high of 345-pounds last season, he said. His body fat percentage has gone from 33-percent to 24-percent. Cutting carbs helped him lose the weight, he said. The transition will make Jenkins faster, but he said losing weight will decrease his overall strength.

“Slimming down is difficult but you have to be disciplined in yourself to make sure that you are on the right diet and make sure your body does what it’s supposed to do.”

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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Just under two months into the season, the White Sox have a 21-20 record. Despite hovering around .500 in a rocky start to the season and currently being in second in the American League Central Division, the White Sox have shown their ceiling. That is a World Series caliber roster.

Moreover, one of the pleasant surprises has been the starting pitching. The pitching staff was expected to be good this year and it has exceeded expectations. The starters not only can carry the team this season but they allow the roster to still look like one of the best in the MLB. Even if the offense continues to struggle like it has to start this year.

Cease becoming the White Sox Ace

Dylan Cease emerging as the ace of the staff was the default at first. With Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn both being sidelined to injury, the next best pitcher in the rotation was Cease. However, eight starts into the season, the White Sox have not only seen the 26-year-old starter step up but become one of the best pitchers in the MLB.

Cease has a mind-boggling 67 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched while allowing only 15 runs. In addition, the .181 expected opponent Batting Average (xBA), .313 expected opponent Slugging Percentage (xSLG), and 2.24 expected ERA are among the best in the game. Yet, Cease’s pitching goes beyond the numbers, which don’t tell the full story. The stats can only hint that he allows weak contact when contact is made altogether that is.

The right-handed starter has mastered the fastball-slider combination while mixing in the curveball effectively. All three pitches give the batters different looks and most notably, are all well-located in the strike zone. The fastball often hits the high part of the strike zone (thus often being labeled as high heat or a rising fastball). The off-speed and breaking pitches meanwhile often dip in the strike zone but have also often hung this year for higher strikes as well.

Cease has been in command of his pitches this season and when dialed in has been unhittable. The White Sox suddenly have another ace in their rotation who can outduel just about any other pitcher in the league. The expectation was for Cease to remain a strong option in the rotation but instead, the team has been treated to Cy Young Award caliber starts.

Kopech’s breakout year

After years of setbacks, injuries, and mounting pressure as one of the best prospects in the system, Michael Kopech has finally stepped up and settled into the rotation. Kopech has been on an innings count but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming of the team’s most reliable starters.

For what it’s worth, Kopech is leading the White Sox with a 2.2 WAR to start the season. However, aside from that numbers, Kopech has found his pitches, particularly the fastball. The high 90s fastball that can locate all four quadrants of the strike zone has become unhittable, as it was against the New York Yankees in seven scoreless innings with only one hit and six strikeouts.

Sunday night’s game was a statement for him, one that put the young pitcher on the map in front of the national audience. However, the whole season, fans have seen firsthand what Kopech is capable of. He has refined his other pitches, which ultimately, have made his fastball even better. The White Sox have seen Kopech finally become a reliable starter but more importantly, provide the team with high-caliber starts, something the 26-year-old looks to provide for years to come.

White Sox getting a pleasant surprise in Cueto

Johnny Cueto made his season debut last week against the Kansas City Royals, pitching six scoreless innings. The White Sox added him initially into the rotation to help out the backend of the pitching staff and hopefully, give the other pitchers more rest. Cueto proved he’s going to provide more than that as he pitched another six scoreless innings against the Yankees.

Throughout his career, Cueto has made a living messing with the hitter’s timing. The quick pitch, the shimming, the hesitation, and everything in between gives Cueto a unique edge. Even with his pitches dwindling, the 36-year-old veteran can still control the game on the mound.

This season, Cueto has particularly relied on his sinker and slider, two off-speed pitches. Cueto has thrown the two pitches 69.3% of the time this season and has rarely gone the heater. The White Sox rotation suddenly is rounded off with a reliable arm and is a deep staff that can keep the team hot.

Why the White Sox rotation is significant?

The White Sox lineup has struggled to start the season, scoring only 3.61 runs per game. The batting order is expected to improve, especially when Eloy Jimenez returns, but even with the struggles, the team is being kept afloat with the starting pitching. In baseball, momentum is only as good as the next starting pitcher and for the White Sox, it means that any losing streak only lasts so long.

In addition, the rotation allows the White Sox to eventually pile on the wins. This is a staff that has yet to see Giolito at his best while Lynn is still recovering from injury. The healthy rotation gives the White Sox the ability to not only get hot but stay hot in what could be a tight race with the Minnesota Twins for the division.

The strong rotation carried the White Sox to the playoffs last season. The team lost to the Houston Astros in the Divisional Series, depriving fans of seeing what the rotation was capable of in a postseason run. This year, the White Sox has that type of rotation. This team has a staff that can reliably win a playoffs series and possibly more. Assuming of course the team can reach the playoffs.

Make sure to check out our WHITE SOX forum for the latest on the team.

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The Bears are still in the early stages of installing Luke Getsy’s offense. But already, tight end Cole Kmet can see how it could benefit him.

“You see how the tight ends involve in the run scheme, and off of that, the play-action movements and those types of things can be really advantageous for tight ends,” Kmet said. “You see guys around the league in similar offenses, whether it was [Robert] Tonyan a couple of years back with Green Bay. Or you look at what George [Kittle] has done in San Francisco.

“You even look at some things with Minnesota and how they’ve used tight ends the past five years ago. You see this things and you can see how tight ends can really get involved in this offense. I’m totally bought in to what’s going on here and I’m excited for it.”

There’s still a long way to go and a lot for Getsy to prove. But if his offense becomes everything that Matt Nagy’s did not, the 23-year-old Kmet should be in a prime spot to produce.

Of all the offensive receiving weapons on the roster, including wide receivers, tight ends and running backs, he’s the highest drafted player –taken 43rd overall in the second round of the 2020 draft. Rookie Velus Jones is the highest-drafted wide receiver (71st overall in the the their round this year). David Montgomery is the highest-drafted running back (73rd overall in the third round in 2019).

So far, Kmet’s production has been modest — in impact if not actual numbers — especially compared to the expectations of the Nagy offense. Kmet had 60 receptions for 612 yards (10.2 avg.) and no touchdowns last season. He had 28 receptions for 243 yards (8.7 avg.) and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2020.

Kmet was optimistic about those offenses as well. Asked if there are indications this optimism will be realized more than in the past, he hinted at what could be a key element of Getsy’s offense that differentiates it from Nagy’s — better utilizing quarterback Justin Fields’ mobility.

“We’ll see,” Kmet said. “But — I don’t want to get too much into detail with it — but Justin’s on the move a lot, and I think he does well with that. That’s been exciting to see and you see the types of throws he can make, with his legs and on the run and off-schedule. No pads right now, but you can see that type of stuff and it gets exciting. It’s been a lot of fun seeing him move and doing things like that.”

Kmet probably could use the fresh start. Expectations for him were naturally exaggerated from the start. He was the Bears’ top draft pick in 2020, even though he wasn’t taken until the third round. And in Nagy’s Andy Reid-inspired offense, comparisons inevitably were made with Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, the most productive tight end in yards per game (70.9) in the Super Bowl era.

Kmet admitted he feels like he’s “starting all over again,” but he’s optimistic that coach Matt Eberflus and Getsy — and Fields — can put the Bears in the right direction. Fields ultimately could be the key factor. That’s why he and wide receiver Darnell Mooney worked with Fields in the offseason.

“It’s not so much timing and getting a feel for each other on the field, but more just relationship. I think that’s important, having a good relationship with the guys,” Kmet said. “Me and Mooney and Justin met up this offseason — it was good bonding and good feel for each other and I think that goes to the field.”

And for what it’s worth, Kmet already has noticed growth in Fields.

“Man, he’s confident,” Kmet said. “He’s confident coming in, so it’s been fun to be out there with him. Confident in the huddle, in his calls. Taking initiative with everybody, and that’s been a lot of fun to be a part of.”

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Josh Donaldson was warned.

The Yankees third baseman claimed he jokingly called White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson ‘Jackie’ in the past, and Anderson acknowledged that Tuesday. But Anderson insists Donaldson’s taunting wasn’t taken in a joking manner.

“In 2019, I know he did say that,” Anderson said before the Sox opened a three-game series against the Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, talking about the Saturday verbal exchanges that turned into a benches clearing melee. “I told him that we don’t ever have to talk again. And I won’t speak to you, you won’t speak to me if that’s how you’re gonna refer to me. And I know he knew exactly what he was doing.”

Donaldson, who was handed a one-game suspension from Major League Baseball Monday for sparking Saturday’s incident, explained what he said was “an inside joke” about Anderson referring to himself “today’s Jackie Robinson” in a 2019 Sports Illustrated article.

“Two, three years, don’t say nothing to me because I already addressed it,” Anderson said.

But when Donaldson pushed Anderson off third base on May 13, “he felt the need to say it again,” Anderson said. “But he’s trying to provoke me.”

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn praised Anderson’s teammates for their support of the shortstop.

“That was remarkable and something this organization, players and staff, should be very proud of,” Hahn said. “Our focus is now on trying to find a way to beat the Red Sox, who come in here extremely hot and we hope to be able to cool them off here over the next few days.”

Anderson said he didn’t care that Donaldson’s suspension was only one game. Donaldson is appealing.

He said he felt the love from his teammates.

“It’s been nothing but love from my teammates, from the coaching staff, from the organization,’ he said. “I can say that things got handled the right way and I feel the support, I feel the love and I appreciate that for sure.”

Whether the incident ignites the Sox, who swept a doubleheader from the Yankees Sunday capped by Anderson’s dramatic three-run homer, remains to be soon.

“Hopefully we keep the good energy going,” Anderson said.

Said manager Tony La Russa: “If you need bulletin board material then you have issues. And if that’s what gets you there, it’s short-lived. You should question your club’s commitment. …I know how this club competes so we don’t need that.

“We have enough trying to figure out how we’re going to slow Boston down. I know our players, coaches and myself have already stated our support for Tim in that situation, what else can I add to it? There is nothing to add.”

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One of the positives of changing general managers is that it eliminates any personal attachment to the roster. Ryan Poles has no impetus to make his predecessor’s moves look smart. He’s coldhearted in his evaluations, and that’s very necessary for a team that went 22-27 the last three seasons.

If Poles can salvage a head-scratching draft pick while reshaping the roster to fit his vision, great. That’s a bonus. If not, he can sweep it out as part of the rebuild.

That concept is especially relevant when it comes to second-year offensive tackle Teven Jenkins. Ryan Pace traded up to draft him No. 39 overall last season as the rest of the NFL seemed scared off — at least that early — by his history of back trouble and the fact that most of his playing experience was at right tackle.

But Pace was certain he’d be the Bears’ left tackle of the future.

At this point, however, Jenkins’ future is anything but clear. Poles sounds like he needs some convincing on Jenkins in general, and it’s uncertain whether he should be on the left or right side. For much of the offseason, fellow second-year man Larry Borom has been working at left tackle and Jenkins has beenat right.

Whereas Pace almost certainly would’ve insisted on making it work at left tackle to justify the pick, Poles doesn’t have to. He just wants to find a way to use him.

The upside for the Bears is that Jenkins seems to feel similarly.

“I play wherever they need me — get in where you fit in,” he said. “It’s more about, ‘Where can I be the best for the team and … what certain position is going to elevate the whole offense?”

That’s not merely best for the team; it’s best for Jenkins. Better to thrive at right tackle — or any position, for that matter — than wilt at left.

“In a certain way, yeah,” he acknowledged. “Yeah, it is.”

Jenkins gave no hint of discontent Tuesday as he processed the strong possibility that his career is taking a sharp right turn.

He made reference to someone, presumably coach Matt Eberflus or an assistant, simply telling him at the start of offseason practices that he was moving to right tackle, and that was that. Eberflus and Poles have repeatedly left open the possibility of flipping Jenkins and Borom back, but this is clearly headed in a particular direction.

“We’re going to work this all the way through to the first game,” Eberflus said last month, keeping with his approach of divulging nothing of substance whenever possible.

The roster Poles inherited was rife with shortfalls, and the offensive line was at the top of his to-do list as he planned his renovations. Unfortunately for Poles, he had a severely restricted budget for the project because of salary-cap space constraints and a depleted stock of draft picks. He’ll be free of both hindrances after this season.

In the meantime, he can help himself by developing players like Jenkins. There’s a chance the Bears could be looking to fill all five starting spots in 2023. If Jenkins emerges as an answer at any position, that’s one less repair for Poles.

That evaluation already is well underway based on film study of the six games Jenkins played last season after missing most of it due to back surgery and his career at Oklahoma State. There isn’t much to be discerned from non-contact offseason practices other than Jenkins is moving well after dropping 20 pounds to 325 and strengthening his core to avoid more back injuries.

After the Bears fired the general manager and coach who collaborated to bring him in, that’s a good start for Jenkins as he makes his case to his new bosses.

“It’s about earning trust and earning their belief that I deserve to be on this team still,” he said. “I’m working for that trust.”

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Last season, Patrick Wisdom of the Chicago Cubs set the franchise record for most home runs by a rookie breaking the previous record set by former MVP Kris Bryant. Impressively, Wisdom set the new record at 28 in only 106 games played last season.

Many wondered whether or not Wisdom would be able to maintain the production seen in his rookie season. Between being a 30-year-old rookie and having a high strikeout rate, many thought his success might’ve only been a flash in the pan.

Although Wisdom currently is tied for the league lead in strikeouts (58), his offensive production has remained rather valuable to the Cubs’ offense. Wisdom leads the Cubs in both RBIs and Home Runs in 2022.

Against the Reds on Monday night, Wisdom accomplished something that a Cub has not done in several years.

Larry Hawley with WGN pointed out the following note: “For those wondering, the Cubs have had three instances where a player has hit homers in five-straight games, with the last coming in 1998 when Sammy Sosa did so from June 3rd through 8th.” Wisdom will have the opportunity to match this mark on Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Now you may be wondering what the all-time record is for consecutive games with a homer. The current record stands at eight straight games with a homer and is shared between Ken Griffey Jr, Dale Long, and Don Mattingly.

If there’s anybody on this current Cubs roster who could flirt with that record, it’s Patrick Wisdom. Wisdom currently has 10 homers and 23 RBIs through 28 games played. If Wisdom were to maintain this pace through the end of the season, he would finish with nearly 40 homers and more than 90 RBIs. He’s currently batting only .220 and continues to strike out often. He seems to make up for it by slugging over .500.

Wisdom has been a key contributor as the Cubs continue to battle back towards a .500 record. This current series against Cincinnati will be crucial in doing so

Make sure to check out our Cubs forum for the latest on the team.

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