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Craig Counsell to shake up the Cubs lineup

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Craig Counsell to shake up the Cubs lineup

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Alex Patt | Last updated May 23, 2026 8:58 AM ET

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Boos rained down from the stands at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon as the Cubs dropped six straight and their 10th in 12 games due to another lackluster offensive performance. Their 4-2 loss to the Astros followed a common theme, stranding runners on base, going 0-9 with RISP on the day.

There has been much outcry for Cubs manager Craig Counsell to change the lineup during this recent slide. Their 3-4 hitters, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, have struggled so badly with RISP that the stats don’t look real. Happ is hitting .143 on the year in that department, while Suzuki is hitting .130. With that said, they are not the only culprits, as the likes of Dansby Swanson, Moises Ballésteros, and Nico Hoerner have been ice cold as well.

Counsell then said postgame he would shake up the lineup a bit.

Counsell said he will shakeup the lineup a bit

— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) May 22, 2026

Making some changes to the Cubs order

Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Cubs fans will get a new look lineup on Saturday, it seems. While most emphasis is on the 3-4 hitters, there is more to it than that.

Cubs manager on team losing streak-“I think we have to do something different” said Craig Counsell after 6th straight loss” it feels like some at bats and confidence is shaken.Maybe a different look in the lineup, or a day off is needed.I think we are at point absolutely “

— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) May 22, 2026

As indicated before, this team as a whole is slumping big time. It makes it harder to shake things up when so many hitters are cold. Happ and Suzuki moving from 3-4 makes sense in a vacuum, but they have to be replaced by reliable bats right now. Michael Busch is an option, as he has been one of the better hitters recently. Michael Conforto has also been one of the more productive hitters as of late; he hit fifth on Friday.

One also has to consider moving Hoerner down from leadoff with his recent struggles. He’s hitting just .164 with three RBI over his last 15 games. It could potentially be a better place for Happ since he can draw walks, and it would not be in the middle of the order spot. Unless Counsell goes with Busch (which he has done before) or does something wild like Pete Crow-Armstrong leading off with his speed. Time will tell.

Turning to the youth?

Mar 17, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Pedro Ramirez against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Cubs called up Pedro Ramirez on Friday morning to replace the injured Matt Shaw on the roster. One has to feel this is the perfect opportunity for him to get a look. He is versatile up the middle and is a switch-hitter who showed a lot of power in the Minors this year.

Again, would this be an automatic cure? No, nothing is for certain with a kid who has never played in the Majors before. With that said, something has got to change, and it feels like one or two of the regulars could use a day or two on the pine. We have seen resets work before.

There are a lot of ways one can spin the lineup around, but these hitters ultimately have to hit at the end of the day.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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