Chicago Cubs Lineup (8/24/25): Busch Leading Off, Kelly Catching, Hendricks Starting

The Cubs obliterated the Angels last night behind their biggest scoring outburst in weeks, nearly overshadowing the superb effort from Cade Horton. He held the Angels scoreless over six innings, the sixth time since July 1 that he’s kept a goose egg on the board for at least five frames. That’s the most in the majors in that time. He also became the first pitcher some Curt “Ketchup Sock” Schilling in 2002 to throw only three balls through the first four innings of a start.

Though the historically good control didn’t last, Horton put those blister concerns behind him and established himself further as a legitimate force. If the playoffs began today, Horton would be part of the rotation. However, there’s a veteran on the staff who could still make a case down the stretch.

Jameson Taillon looked great in the win over Milwaukee on Tuesday night, his first action in nearly two months due to a calf strain. The big righty worked six innings, giving up just one run on five hits while striking out four with one walk. More of the same this afternoon, please.

Michael Busch leads off at first, Kyle Tucker is back in the two-hole after hitting three homers in the first two games of the series to shake free from his slump, and Seiya Suzuki is the DH. Pete Crow-Armstrong cleans up, Carson Kelly is doing the catching because Reese McGuire was benched for hitting a grand slam, and Ian Happ is in left. Nico Hoerner plays second, Dansby Swanson is at short, and Matt Shaw is at third.

Going for the Angels is Cubs legend Kyle Hendricks, who gets to spend the twilight of his career close to where he grew up. It’s at least a little bittersweet because finishing his career with the Cubs would have been fitting, but he’s no longer at the point in his career where he can having a meaningful role with a playoff contender. While his 4.93 ERA is almost a full run better than last year, which saw him pushed to the bullpen after a string of bad starts, it’s higher than in any previous season on the North Side.

You don’t need me to tell you about the 35-year-old’s repertoire, which remains more or less the same as it’s always been. Though he’s tweaked his usage a little, he’s still a changeup/sinker pitcher with a fastball and curve. Hendricks might have the most even pitch distribution of anyone I’ve profiled, making him the third unique Angels pitcher in a row. While he throws a higher percentage of changeups to left-handed hitters, his ability to manipulate the pitch to get different shapes allows him to use it heavily against righties as well.

He’ll do the same with the sinker, as you can see from the location heat maps below. The changeup is very distinct, with one version running arm-side and the other cutting glove-side, but the sinker clearly has two types or intents as well. Hendricks actually does this with the four-seam as well, but it’s much more subtle.

This is why I always loved watching Hendricks pitch, though the diminution of his skills over the years eventually made his margin for error far too thin. He was like a magician out there, fooling hitters with sleight of hand even when they knew what they were supposed to be looking for. And he did it all with a humble, aw-shucks demeanor that made him impossible to dislike. He and his family were beloved in Wrigleyville, and they loved their time in Chicago so much that Hendricks said they’ve gone back to games without him.

He’ll always be a Cub and I have to imagine he’ll be one of the alums coming back to Cubs Convention after his retirement, which may come after this season. It’d be great to see him sign a one-day deal to officially retire as a Cub, though Hendricks seems the the kind of dude for whom such trappings are not important. In the meantime, he’ll get a chance to face his old team in front of a crowd that will probably have more Cubs fans than Angels fans.

Then he can become a fan himself when the Cubs leave town.

“I’m just really excited to see what they can do going into October,” Hendricks told Marquee on Friday. “Nothing but the best for them.”

First pitch is at 3:07pm CT on Marquee and 670 The Score.

One more in the City of Angels.

Watch today’s game on the Marquee Sports Network App. pic.twitter.com/T1M3TAihot

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 24, 2025