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Chicago Cubs infielder Luis Vazquez has reportedly been called up from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. The assumption is that infielder Nico Hoerner (hamstring) is headed to the injured list with Vazquez joining the roster. The 22-year-old was slashing .270/.369/.409 with three home runs and 11 RBI in Triple-A this season. The Cubs haven't announced who is going down to the minors as a corresponding roster move. The expectation is that Vazquez should get significant playing time until the Cubs middle infield gets healthy again.
Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This marks the sixth straight game that Hoerner has missed due to tightness in his hamstring. The 27-year-old is considered day-to-day, but it's a bit surprising Hoerner hasn't been placed on the injured list yet. In the meantime, Nick Madrigal will bat seventh and cover second base on Sunday.
A day after getting six no-hit innings from Paul Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates got another solid outing from their rotation as Bailey Falter tossed 7 2/3 innings of shutout baseball in Saturday's 1-0 loss at the Chicago Cubs. He allowed three hits and two walks while striking out two over 7 2/3 scoreless frames. The 27-year-old did not factor into the decision. Falter allowed just three hits in the longest outing of his career, matching zeroes with Cubs ace Shota Imanaga. "It was awesome," Falter said about matching up with Imanaga. Despite the no-decision, Falter, 2-2 on the season, lowered his ERA to 3.53, while his 0.98 WHIP makes him an intriguing option for fantasy managers who need help in that category. In his next start, the southpaw draws a tough matchup against the Braves and can be used as a deep-league streamer.
Chicago Cubs lefthander Shota Imanaga was excellent once again on Saturday afternoon, going seven innings while scattering four hits and a walk to go with seven strikeouts. He did not surrender a run. Imanaga did not factor into the decision but is 5-0 in eight starts with a .84 ERA, a .94 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts in 46 innings. Imanaga will start against the St. Louis Cardinals next Friday.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel walked the Pittsburgh Pirates off with a single to score Cody Bellinger with the game's only run, sealing a 1-0 victory for the Cubs. Morel has found a home in the cleanup spot in the batting order, hitting .215 with nine home runs, 32 RBI, 22 runs scored, and four stolen bases. Morel has cut his strikeout rate from 31% in 2023 to a manageable 21.5% thus far in 2024. Look for the productive Morel to continue playing third base and batting in the four-spot for the 26-21 Chicago Cubs.