Chicago Cubs Lineup (8/3/22): McKinstry at 3B, Madrigal Returns at 2B, Steele Starting

The Cubs will try to get their first post-deadline win after being thumped in St. Louis last night without putting up much of a fight. That’s understandable given the general weirdness of the day and expecting to have two of their key players traded, so maybe they’ll bounce back with some enthusiasm in this one.

Rafael Ortega leads off as the DH, followed by Willson Contreras behind the plate and Ian Happ in left. Seiya Suzuki is in right, Nico Hoerner is at short, Patrick Wisdom plays first, and Zach McKinstry gets some run at the hot corner. Nick Madrigal makes his return to the lineup at second base and Christopher Morel is in center.

Justin Steele is on the mound to face the Cardinals for the second time this season and I think he’ll be happy with similar results. He tossed a season-high seven innings back on June 5, scattering seven hits and limiting the Cards to just one earned run. It wasn’t his best performance, particularly with just one strikeout and three walks, but a repeat would do just fine.

The Redbirds will start a man who questioned his choice to take the COVID vaccine after initially achieving infamy for eating a live lizard. Miles Mikolas is having one of the better seasons of his career with a 2.86 ERA that comes from limiting walks and keeping the ball in the yard. He’s not a big strikeout guy and never has been, so it’s all about getting weak contact.

I don’t like this matchup for the Cubs, but maybe they’ll surprise me. First pitch is at 6:45pm CT on Marquee Sports Network and 670 The Score.

Here is tonight's #Cubs starting lineup. pic.twitter.com/T3Vn4qIAC0

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 3, 2022