Brett and Michael are back for the thirty-first episode of the Bleacher Nation Cubs Podcast (Presented by Ankin Law)! With the postseason right around the corner, the guys cover a number of key injury and pitching storylines.

Kyle Tucker could return as soon as this weekend in a DH role after meeting with his personal PTs in Tampa, but questions remain about whether he’ll be at full strength. Cade Horton’s status for the Wild Card round is also up in the air, with the Cubs potentially considering resting him if they can get through the opening series in two games—giving him added rest ahead of the NLDS. Meanwhile, Michael Boyd delivered a “decent” outing the day after Horton’s back issue surfaced, adding some intrigue to the rotation plan.

In the bullpen, Daniel Palencia has returned quickly from a shoulder strain and looked sharp, but will Craig Counsell immediately give him the closer role back? Michael Soroka has also continued to impress out of the bullpen—his latest one-inning burst showed how dominant he can be when pounding the zone. The guys also talk through what the back end of the Cubs’ bullpen should look like as the team gears up for October.

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Brett and Michael are back for the thirtieth episode of the Bleacher Nation Cubs Podcast (Presented by Ankin Law)! The Cubs have officially clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2020 after sweeping the Pirates, and the guys reflect on how far this roster has come. They debate whether this team has the pieces to make a deep October run and what a realistic championship path looks like.

They also break down the projected playoff rotation, how the Cubs will set it up, and the confidence level in the arms leading the way. Matthew Boyd’s recent struggles are also on the table—after making hitters look foolish earlier in the season, his command has been shaky, his wildness has crept up, and his whiff rate has fallen dramatically.

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Brett and Michael are back together for the twenty-ninth episode of the Bleacher Nation Cubs Podcast (Presented by Ankin Law)! The Cubs dropped their series to the Nationals and opened the Braves set with another loss, pushing their skid to three games. Still, they remain the only team in baseball without a four-game losing streak this season and hold the fifth-best record overall.

The guys talk about the Cubs’ inability to capitalize while the Brewers have been scuffling, and how regression has hit the offense—especially with runners in scoring position and a lack of home run production. They also dig into Seiya Suzuki’s second-half power drought (just one homer in nearly two months) despite strong underlying hard-hit metrics.

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