Ben Zobrist is once again batting leadoff and playing second, followed by Nicholas Castellanos in right, Kris Bryant at third, and Kyle Schwarber in left. Then it’s Willson Contreras handling first base duties while Victor Caratini catches, both to give WillCo a little break and because of the battery situation.
Jason Heyward in center and Nico Hoerner at short complete the lineup, in as much as that can be the case with Anthony Rizzo and Javy Báez out. But the Cubs have adopted a next-man-up philosophy that won’t allow them to fret over missing two everyday players. That means doing the best the can in their own jerseys rather than wearing a fallen teammate’s uniform under their own like a ding-dong.