Cubs
In this week’s Polling Place, we also asked about the White Sox and the Sky.
Right-hander Javier Assad started Friday in Pittsburgh.
Swanson had been dealing with the injury for two weeks.
Morel has made plenty of spectacular plays at third base this season, but the routine ones have stood out to president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer.
The Cubs lost 3-0 to the Padres on Wednesday.
The Cubs had only one hit against Cease, whom they drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft.
Imanaga limited the Padres to two runs in seven-plus innings Tuesday.
A thunderstorm heightened the drama of the final inning Tuesday.
Cease takes a 2.55 ERA into his start against the Cubs on Wednesday at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs also optioned outfielder Alexander Canario to Triple-A, put reliever Daniel Palencia on the 15-day IL and recalled reliever Keegan Thompson.
Steele held the Padres scoreless in 4 2/3 innings.
Notes: Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer discussed how to improve the bullpen, and right-hander Kyle Hendricks is headed to Triple-A Iowa for his next rehab start.
The Cubs shortstop hit his first home run since April 25 on Sunday against the Brewers.
Sunday was Assad’s third career start pitching at least six scoreless innings.
In the eighth, Michael Busch tripled, and Wisdom, who had homered earlier, singled him home for the run that proved to be the difference in the Cubs’ 6-5 win.
Manager Craig Counsell said Suzuki likely will have a rehab assignment, but Bellinger might not. Both could be activated from the injured list this week.
The Cubs (19-14) and Alzolay need to find answers to his struggles.
If any longtime watchers of the Cubs and Brewers didn’t know which manager was in which dugout Friday at Wrigley Field, they might have assumed the hotshot with the richest contract ever for a big-league skipper was still on the visitors’ side.
Getting Steele back will be a boost to the Cubs’ rotation and bullpen alike.