Addressing the injury-plagued first month of the 2026 season, Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters in San Diego that “this is a major-league season and things happen.”
That seems obvious, but some Cubs fans think they only happen to their team.
The Boston Red Sox are without starters Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray, the Houston Astros are without starter Hunter Brown and shortstop Jeremy Peña, the Milwaukee Brewers are without outfielders Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio and several other teams are missing key players.
It’s sports, and things happen.
Either way, the Cubs have persevered through some key injuries, mostly to the bullpen, and are likely to get closer Daniel Palenica back this weekend, perhaps as early as Friday. Thanks to players such as Ben Brown stepping in to fill the void, they begin a homestand against the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Cincinnati Reds in great position, despite still waiting on Alex Bregman and Michael Busch to break out.
One of the more encouraging signs of the 3-3 trip to Los Angeles and San Diego was the return of Pete Crow-Armstrong’s power, at least for a cameo. He hit home runs in the last two games against the Padres and has been known to be a streak hitter in his young career.
Counsell was asked Wednesday whether Crow-Armstrong’s regular at-bats against left-handers, with whom he has struggled in the past, has helped his overall hitting.
“It’s always been one of those things we say,” Counsell said. “I think in Pete’s case, I don’t have the numbers but it looks like he’s swinging a little less against left-handed pitching, and maybe that’s good for him. Sometimes I think you just don’t see the ball quite as well, and it makes you a little more disciplined to maybe a smaller zone.”
Crow-Armstrong is hitting .271 against lefties, a vast improvement from his .219 average in 2025. It’s a small sample size but something to watch as the weather warms up in May.
“A little bit of a short-term trend,” Counsell said. “We’d like to get him going against right-handers more than anything. We’ve faced a lot of left-handers, period, but his platoon splits last year have caused a lot of this. He was so good against right-handed pitching last year that it’s causing other teams to target that spot in the lineup.”
Crow-Armstrong still has only three home runs, a disappointing start for someone with his power potential. Last year he hit 25 home runs in the first half, third-most among left-handed hitters behind Shohei Ohtani (32) and Kyle Schwarber (30). Crow-Armstrong tailed off in the second half, as has been well-documented, with only six homers.
Counsell believes we’ll see more of the old Crow-Armstrong now that he’s getting into a groove.
“Pete’s best offensive trait is the ability to put the ball in the seats,” he said. “I’ll say it again, that’s the best play in baseball. I don’t think he’s sacrificing (power) right now. He’s just missing pitches to hit.”
Counsell suggested Crow-Armstrong would gradually increase his walk rate over his career, though not at a drastic level of, say, between 10-12%. He’s currently at 7%, well above last year’s 4.5% walk rate, which means his on-base percentage is up to .307 from .287. He’ll always be a free swinger but should chase fewer pitches out of the zone with more experience.
Crow-Armstrong still needs a prolonged hot streak to say he’s back, but it’s a start. After homering Tuesday, he quoted J. Cole’s lyric from “Love Yourz” as inspiration: “There’s beauty in the struggle, ugliness in the success.”
The Cubs could use a little more ugliness and a little less beauty.
Steele curtain
Luckless Cubs starter Justin Steele sounds as if he could use a group hug from Cubs fans. After a setback in his rehab from last year’s elbow surgery — a flexor strain that could sideline him until after the All-Star break — Steele tweeted about the frustration of returning from a long layoff only to get delayed once again.
“It’s hard to put into words the emotions and mental state that something like this can leave you in,” he wrote. “Nor do I want to really. I just know I have given 100% and have done everything that’s been asked of me and at the end of the day that’s all I can do. But some things just can’t be explained. For a lack of a better term; ‘(stuff) just happens sometimes.’ In the same breath, I also know I am one of the best pitchers on this planet. And I will get back to that and even better. There has never been a backup plan. It’s always been baseball. And it will remain that way.”
Steele credited his faith for his positivity and thanked fans for their support.
The Cubs really should bring Steele back to Wrigley and show him on the video board during a game so he can see and hear how fans are rooting for him. It might not fast-forward the recovery, but it probably would do wonders for his mental state.
Moisés vs. Caissie
There was plenty of teeth-gnashing when Cubs President Jed Hoyer sent Owen Caissie to the Miami Marlins in the Edward Cabrera trade. Caissie was supposed to replace Kyle Tucker in right field and be the next Cubs superstar. As it turned out, Seiya Suzuki is back in right field, with Moisés Ballesteros primarily a DH.
So far it looks like the Cubs kept the right player. Ballesteros leads all rookies with a 1.012 OPS with a relatively low 15.2% strikeout rate. Caissie began Thursday with a .595 OPS and a 42.7% strikeout rate, the highest among rookies. Cabrera also has been one of the Cubs’ top starters in Cade Horton’s absence, making Hoyer’s controversial decision a win-win.
