Yesterday’s Cactus League opener was particularly Cactus League-y, with the Cubs getting just one run on a solo shot from the same guy who later lost a ball in the sun. Between Seiya Suzuki‘s muff in center and Jameson Taillon getting shelled in less than two innings of work, it was a banner day for inevitable overreactions. Now we get a chance to run it back with a different cast of characters.
Matt Shaw leads off and gets his first run in right, where he should be both physically and philosophically comfortable. Pete Crow-Armstrong makes his debut in center, Carson Kelly is behind the plate, and Jonathon Long plays first. Justin Dean handles left, James Triantos is at second, Pedro Ramírez takes third, Jefferson Rojas is at short, and B.J. Murray is the DH.
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Matthew Boyd gets the start as he begins an earlier ramp than usual with the WBC on the horizon. Just like Taillon yesterday, this outing is more about building up his workload than getting great results. Boyd is just looking to shake the rust off, nothing more.
Going for Texas is former Vanderbilt phenom Kumar Rocker, who was chosen 10th overall by the Mets in 2021 but failed to reach an agreement. After pitching for the Frontier League’s Tri-City ValleyCats, Rocker was taken third overall by the Rangers in 2022. That reunited him with former Commodores teammate Jack Leiter, who made his MLB debut in 2024 and was a solid starter for Texas last season.
Rocker likewise debuted in ’25 and made 14 MLB starts last season with mixed results, pitching to a 5.74 ERA with a lot of hard contact allowed. The righty gets good extension out of his 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, which helps his 96 mph sinker and four-seam to play up a little. Both pitches get more arm-side movement and sink than average, helping him to generate a lot of grounders.
You’d expect a guy named Kumar to throw sliders, and that is the case with this pitcher. He goes to the cutter more frequently, offsetting similar shapes with a 6 mph velo separation. A 78 mph curve with big depth and a 90 mph change that mimics the sinker round out his repertoire. If he figures out how to carry his big strikeout numbers to MLB, he’ll be a big problem for hitters.
First pitch is at 2:05pm CT on Marquee and 104.3 The Score.
Another afternoon at @SloanParkMesa.
Watch the game live on Marquee Sports Network pic.twitter.com/K0RybPXS4K
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) February 21, 2026
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The post Chicago Cubs Lineup (2/21/26): Shaw in Right, PCA in Center, Boyd on Bump appeared first on .