Chicago Cubs Lineup: Pedro Ramirez at Second, Dansby Swanson Off - Bleacher Nation

What the report says

Bleacher Nation reported that the Chicago Cubs entered their July 28, 2026 game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium with a chance to reach 15 games over .500, matching their season high. The matchup was the second in a four-game series in St. Louis, with first pitch listed for 6:45 p.m. CT. The Cubs were 60-46, while the Cardinals were 53-53.

Manager Craig Counsell’s lineup featured Pedro Ramirez at second base and Nico Hoerner moving to shortstop as Dansby Swanson received a day off from playing the field. Pete Crow-Armstrong led off in center, followed by Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, Alex Bregman, Ian Happ at designated hitter, Hoerner, Michael Conforto in left, Carson Kelly and Ramirez. Bleacher Nation noted that Conforto’s start in left allowed Happ to take a partial rest at DH.

The pitching matchup was Chicago right-hander Colin Rea against St. Louis right-hander Michael McGreevy. Bleacher Nation said Rea was coming off an uneven outing against Detroit but had posted a 3.69 ERA over his previous 31.2 innings. McGreevy was described as having a strong surface ERA, 3.07 over 20 starts, while underlying metrics cited by the site suggested possible vulnerability, particularly against left-handed hitters.

The Cardinals’ lineup included JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, Ivan Herrera, Lars Nootbaar, Masyn Winn, Nathan Church, Jose Fermin and Jimmy Crooks. The game also came with broader roster context for Chicago, including multiple injured pitchers and a trade deadline less than a week away, according to the report.