Postseason FAQ: What's next for Cubs?

PITTSBURGH – The Cubs punched their ticket to the postseason Wednesday afternoon with an 8-4 victory over the Pirates at PNC Park.

It will be the team’s first trip to the playoffs since 2020.

The Cubs’ season started ​in Mesa, Ariz., at Spring Training in early February, took them across the world ​to the Tokyo Dome in Japan ​for Opening Day and now has them locked into the playoff picture after a three-game sweep in Pittsburgh. And while the club’s loftiest expectations are still to be fulfilled, the ​team made sure to celebrate its achievement in the visitor's locker room shortly after the game.

Who will make the Cubs’ postseason roster? Can the team still win the National League Central? What is Kyle Tucker’s status with just 10 games remaining in the regular season?

Here is a breakdown of where things stand for the Cubs as the postseason looms. This will continue to be updated as more information becomes clear in the coming days.

What could the postseason roster look like?
Here’s the first crack at predicting what the 26-man postseason roster could look like, though it’s obviously subject to change in the coming weeks depending on the health of some players and the performance of others.

Catchers (2): Carson Kelly, Reese McGuire
First baseman (1): Michael Busch
Second baseman (1): Nico Hoerner
Shortstop (1): Dansby Swanson
Third baseman (1): Matt Shaw
Outfielders (3): Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker
DH (1): Seiya Suzuki
Utility (3): Willi Castro, Carlos Santana, Justin Turner
Starters (3): LHP Matthew Boyd, RHP Cade Horton, LHP Shota Imanaga
Bullpen (10): RHP Javier Assad, RHP Brad Keller, RHP Andrew Kittredge, RHP Daniel Palencia, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Colin Rea, LHP Taylor Rogers, RHP Michael Soroka, RHP Jameson Taillon, LHP Caleb Thielbar

Can the Cubs still win the NL Central?
As of this moment, the Cubs (88-64) are 4 1/2 games behind the division-leading Brewers (92-59) with 10 games to play. Chicago won the season series, 7-6, so it owns the tiebreaker over Milwaukee.

Can the Cubs get a bye for the NL Wild Card round?
The top two seeds among the division winners in the NL will get a bye for the Wild Card round. If the Cubs were to overtake the Brewers for the division title down the stretch, a first-round bye would be the likely outcome.

If the Cubs win a Wild Card spot, will they host the first round?
As things stand, the Cubs have a 9 1/2-game lead for the NL’s top Wild Card spot. If Chicago holds that position until the end of the season, it would host the best-of-three first-round matchup against the second Wild Card finisher. Right now, the Padres project to face the Cubs in the opening round.

What will the Cubs’ pitching rotation look like?
This will be interesting to follow down the stretch for the North Siders. The Cubs gave the ball to Imanaga on Opening Day, Boyd was an All-Star this season and Horton has been one of baseball’s top arms in the second half (while dealing with workload limits).

If it’s a best-of-three Wild Card scenario, those seem like the three likely names atop the rotation depth chart. The veteran Taillon is also very much a possibility. But in an all-hands-on-deck situation, starters like Taillon, Rea and Assad could be at the ready in multi-inning relief roles. Aaron Civale would be an option on that front, too.

What’s the status of the Cubs’ injured players?
• Tucker is on the projected roster above, but the star outfielder remains on the 10-day injured list right now with a left calf strain. Tucker traveled to Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday with a member of the Cubs’ medical staff and will be seeing the same physical therapy group that he worked with in 2024 while playing for Houston. Manager Craig Counsell hopes Tucker can rejoin the team for its final homestand starting Sept. 23.

• Similarly, Palencia (15-day IL, right shoulder) is optimistically listed on the projected roster above. He has a rehab outing at Triple-A Iowa scheduled for Saturday and hopes to be ready for the playoffs.

• Catcher Miguel Amaya has been on the 10-day IL since mid-August due to a left ankle sprain. If he is not deemed ready for the playoffs, Chicago has a capable backup in McGuire, who has filled in admirably this year.

• Relievers Ryan Brasier (left groin strain) and Eli Morgan (right elbow) have been logging rehab outings with Triple-A Iowa, but it is unclear if either would factor into a playoff setting, at least early on.

• Pipeline’s top Cubs prospect, outfielder Owen Caissie (No. 44 on the Top 100 list), has been on MLB’s concussion list since Sept. 14. His status is unclear right now.

What happens if Tucker is not ready for the start of the playoffs?
While Tucker has been out, the Cubs have been using a rotation of players in right field. Suzuki is an option, along with Castro or one of Chicago’s young prospects (Kevin Alcántara or Caissie, if healthy). The Cubs also have veteran Santana or prospect Moisés Ballesteros for help with the designated hitter role, if Suzuki were to get the bulk of the innings in place of Tucker in right field.

Who closes if Palencia is not available?
With the exception of Palencia, who earned the closer’s role by midseason, Counsell has avoided placing labels on his late-inning relievers. Keller has been a primary high-leverage arm, along with Thielbar and Kittredge. That trio would likely serve as the main options for the back end, with an assortment of others filling the bridge innings.

How might the rest of the bullpen look for the playoffs?
In a Wild Card series, the Cubs would need to have only three starting pitchers. That could remain the case for the Division Series round, but that best-of-five setting opens the possibility for a fourth starter. Assad, Civale, Rea and Taillon could be bullpen options for the first round, though righty Porter Hodge could land a relief role if he continues to earn back trust in high-leverage moments.