Chicago Cubs Lineup (6/24/23): Morel DH, Madrigal 3B, Steele Starting London Opener

I’ve been here for two days and it still hasn’t quite sunk in that the Cubs are playing actual baseball games in London. The fan takeover event in Trafalgar Square is pretty cool, but having it so far away from the venue for the games kind of maintains the cognitive dissonance. That will all change this evening, however, as the first game gets underway.

Having two days off allowed David Ross to reconfigure his rotation, setting Justin Steele up to start the first game. He’s plenty rested after a recent IL stint and will surely be hyped for this outing.

See lineup card below for the specifics, wifi isn’t good enough for me to type it all out.

The Cards will be sending 41-year-old Adam Wainwright to the bump as he continues a career that may finally be making its last lap. I’ve been saying the for years, though, and Waino never seems to go down the draino in spite of circling it perpetually. The Cubs have been like a trampoline for him to bounce back from more than once, with a gem on June 2, 2019 standing out in particular. I remember that because it was my birthday and he shoved.

Expect loads of curveballs as the big righty leverages that 6-foot-7 frame to flip junk that still has the ability to baffle hitters. He’s not found his stride since getting a late start on the season and has allowed at least three earned runs in seven of his eight starts, so a patient approach from the Cubs should yield more than a few meatballs to crush.

First pitch from the home of West Ham is at 12:10pm CT on FOX and 670 The Score.

Here is the #Cubs starting lineup for game one at London Stadium!#LondonSeries 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/T7SQOSXgOL

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 24, 2023