The Cubs lineup had a bit of a different look Friday, going up against White Sox right-hander Adrian Houser, who is in the midst of the best season of his career. Switch-hitting Vidal Bruján got the start at third base over Matt Shaw, and left-handed hitting Reese McGuire started behind the plate.

Starting pitcher Jameson Taillon threw 47 pitches during a bullpen session Friday at Wrigley Field, per the Cubs. He was placed on the 15-day injured list on July 4 with a right calf strain. Prior to his injury, Taillon had a 4.44 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP across 95.1 innings, including 10 quality starts.

The White Sox’ hottest hitter, Luis Robert Jr., was not in Friday's starting lineup due to adductor soreness. Manager Will Venable is hoping he returns Saturday for Game 2 against the Cubs. “He

As the trade deadline nears, the Cubs and White Sox are in different modes, with one buying and the other selling. Could they work out a deal?

This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cubs as Cubs Release Positive Injury Updates on Pair of Important Pitchers. Jed Hoyer has repeatedly stated the Chicago Cubs are looking to add pitching.

The Smokies had a 7-3 lead after five innings, but the Blue Wahoos chipped away against the bullpen to cut the deficit to 7-6 heading to the ninth. A.J. Puckett was summoned from the bullpen to get the save, but he got rocked four four runs on five hits over his inning. All four runs scored after two outs. Puckett did not walk or strike anyone out.

Chicago Cubs first baseman Busch has taken another step forward in his development this year, which has included raising his on-base percentage by nearly 40 points.