How might Cubs rotation look after returning from Tokyo Series?
Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele will toe the rubber for the Cubs first two games of the season.
That much is clear.
But what happens when they return stateside to take on the Diamondbacks eight days later, on March 27?
[READ: Analyzing Cubs 31-man roster for Tokyo Series: Who’s in, who’s out?]
It’s a fascinating conundrum that manager Craig Counsell, pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and the rest of the Cubs brass will have to ponder. The Cubs pitching plans for their next four games are mapped out: they’ll have a bullpen day on March 14 against the Hanshin Tigers and then Jameson Taillon will start against the Yomiuri Giants two days later.
Lefty Matthew Boyd, a veteran signed as a free agent over the offseason, figures to pitch in one of the exhibition games, too. Boyd and Taillon likely won’t be active for the two-game set against the Dodgers, since they’ll have just pitch and the Cubs will want to use those two roster spots on bullpen arms instead.
So, when they play the Diamondbacks, do they go with Taillon or Boyd for the domestic opener and keep the rotation order going? Or do they reset it and have Imanaga start?
Let’s begin with Imanaga and Steele. In both cases, they won’t fully be built up when they take on the Dodgers, so the Cubs might benefit from starting the duo on normal rest when they return for exhibition games.
“Normal” rest for Imanaga would mean starting on March 23 against the A’s and Steele the next day against Atlanta. Doing it that way would allow Taillon or Boyd to pitch that first game back in Cactus League play against the Padres and the other the next day against the Rockies. That would line up Boyd or Taillon to start the first game against Arizona.
If the Cubs want to work in an extra day because of jetlag, then Taillon or Boyd could start on March 22 against Colorado. That would mean Taillon would again start the domestic opener.
[MORE: 2025 Chicago Cubs regular-season TV broadcast, streaming schedule]
Of course, the Cubs also could ease their team back into things, taking it easy for the first two or so games back and saving Imanaga and Steele for the domestic opening series.
That’s the course of action that the Dodgers took last season. Tyler Glasnow started Opening Day for Los Angeles against San Diego in South Korea. He made his next appearance for the Dodgers in the domestic opener against the Cardinals, pitching 6 innings of 1-run ball on 2 hits. Yoshinobu Yamamoto started the second game in Seoul and then his next outing was the third game of the Cardinals series in the U.S.
The Cubs will have five games and seven days before the Diamondbacks series to work out those kinks.
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