The Cubs are trying to avoid stumbling into the All-Star break.
Their National League Central lead dwindled to 1½ games after dropping a second straight to the Minnesota Twins, who go for a series sweep Thursday afternoon. The Cubs will head into the All-Star break after a three-game weekend series at Yankee Stadium.
The White Sox will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2005 World Series championship team this weekend at Rate Field. The festivities will include the unveiling of a statue honoring pitcher Mark Buehrle at 6:45 p.m. Friday. Saturday’s events include a 2005 reunion pregame ceremony starting at 2:35 p.m.
Every Thursday during the regular season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Cubs and White Sox.
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Matt Shaw gets ‘breather’ amid offensive struggles
The Cubs’ initial vision heading into the series in Minnesota wasn’t to give the third baseman a day off Wednesday.
Shaw’s offensive struggles, though, prompted manager Craig Counsell instead to start veteran Jon Berti at third in the Cubs’ 4-2 loss to the Twins.
“Just a little breather here and a day to just work on some things without having having a game to follow and go from there,” Counsell said Wednesday.
Shaw, 23, seemed back on track after the Cubs recalled him following a month stint at Triple A. He posted a .339/.379/.500 slash line with seven doubles and one home run in 17 games between May 19 and June 7. For as good as Shaw looked during that stretch, his struggles have been conversely pronounced. In his last 25 games, Shaw is hitting .122 with a .207 on-base percentage and .159 slugging percentage over 92 plate appearances.
His offensive inconsistency should make finding a proven hitter at third base a priority for the Cubs as the July 31 trade deadline approaches. Could that possibility be weighing on Shaw?
Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw stands on the field during an at-bat during the first inning against the Guardians on July 1, 2025, at Wrigley Field. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
“Look, Matt’s gotten a great opportunity, I mean, he’s got an opportunity to play a lot, so I kind of take the other side of that,” Counsell said. “What an opportunity he’s been given, and he’s earned it, but what an opportunity he’s got. So that’s how you keep looking at it.”
Counsell doesn’t believe Shaw’s struggles stem from swing-decision issues. But Shaw hasn’t been producing the type of quality contact the Cubs need.
“It’s the ability to hit balls in the gaps, to get balls over outfielders’ heads, to drive the baseball,” Counsell said. “Obviously you’ve got to create good contact to do that. And however you want to describe he’s getting there, he’s been unable to do that and you need to do that. … The kind of ball that outfielders can’t get to have been few and far between.”
Shaw’s defense has been much improved compared with his first stint in the majors at the beginning of the season. Counsell acknowledged that Shaw’s defensive performance has “absolutely” helped him remain in the lineup through his offensive slump.
Despite his shortcomings at the plate the last few weeks, Counsell believes it’s still realistic to hope Shaw is the Cubs’ answer at third.
“Collectively, we’ve got to work hard to help Matt and to help Matt be the solution, to be the guy we think he can be,” Counsell said. “So that’s not going to stop. I’m going to keep doing that.”
Trade deadline looms for the Sox and Luis Robert Jr.
White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. walks in the dugout before a game against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at Rate Field. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Robert felt good in his return from the injured list Tuesday.
“It’s just getting into the game rhythm,” Robert said through an interpreter Wednesday. “It’s an adjustment. But I feel good, and when my body is asking me for more, I’ll go for more.”
Robert went 1-for-2 with a single in Tuesday’s rain-shortened 6-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field. It was his first game since June 25, when he exited in the first inning with a left hamstring strain.
“Once you start running and feeling strong enough, or in that good percentage to start playing, it’s like when you feel, ‘OK, I can come back,’” Robert said.
It has been a tough season for Robert, who entered Thursday slashing .185/.272/.311 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 75 games.
“I’m working hard every day, trying to get results,” Robert said.
The next couple of weeks will be interesting for the center fielder and the Sox as the July 31 trade deadline nears. Robert has been mentioned in trade speculation throughout the season.
“It’s not in my hands,” Robert said. “That’s on the people who make decisions and whatever they want to do.”
Number of the week: 464
Michael A. Taylor hit a 464-foot, two-run home run off Colorado Rockies pitcher Ryan Rolison in the ninth inning Saturday at Coors Field. It was the longest home run of the season for a Sox player and the team’s eighth-longest during the Statcast era (since 2015).
Week ahead: Cubs
Thursday: at Twins, 12:10 p.m., Marquee
Friday: at Yankees, 6:05 p.m., Marquee
Saturday: at Yankees, 12:05 p.m., Marquee
Sunday: at Yankees, 12:35 p.m., Marquee
Monday: Home Run Derby, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday: All-Star Game, 7 p.m., FOX
Wednesday: off
The Cubs’ Justin Turner rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the ninth inning against the Twins on July 8, 2025, at Target Field in Minneapolis. (Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)
The road to 200 career home runs is part of Justin Turner’s winding big-league journey.
Turner reached the milestone Tuesday with his pinch-hit solo home run in the ninth inning of 8-1 loss to the Twins at Target Field. The Cubs represent Turner’s seventh big-league team, his most successful years coming during a nine-year stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-22), for whom he hit 156 home runs.
“It’s pretty crazy, something early on in my career I didn’t think that was a number that would even be close to attainable,” Turner said Tuesday night. “So I’m pretty proud of it. But obviously wish it was a little more meaningful as far as the game goes.”
Turner got his 200th home run ball back from the Cubs fan who caught it in the left-field seats. He met the man outside the visitors clubhouse postgame and he learned the die-hard Cubs fan was also a redhead named Justin. Turner posed for a photo, signed a bat for him and gave him an autographed baseball from Michael Busch, a Minnesota native.
“I actually got to see him make the catch, which was awesome,” Turner said. “It’ll probably go up on a mantle somewhere, probably my office.”
Week ahead: White Sox
Thursday: vs. Guardians, 6:40 p.m., CHSN
Friday: vs. Guardians, 7:10 p.m., CHSN
Saturday: vs. Guardians, 3:10 p.m., CHSN
Sunday: vs. Guardians, 1:10 p.m., CHSN
Monday: Home Run Derby, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday: All-Star Game, 7 p.m., FOX
Wednesday: off
White Sox starter Shane Smith delivers against the Rockies in the second inning on Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP)
Shane Smith became the first White Sox rookie pitcher to be selected to the All-Star Game, a piece of franchise trivia that amazed the right-hander.
“With the names that have been through here before, it’s really surprising,” Smith said Monday. “It’s really cool to be in the history books like that. Yeah, it was definitely surprising when I saw that.”
Reflecting on his journey to joining Dan Uggla as the only players since at least 2000 to become an All-Star in the season after being selected in the Rule 5 draft, Smith said, “If I didn’t get taken by (the Sox), who knows what this year would look like for me. To (pitching coach Ethan) Katz and (manager Will) Venable and (general manager Chris) Getz and the front office to take a chance on me in the Rule 5, which you never really know how it’s going to work out for you — for them to take that chance and for me to take advantage of it is a mutual benefit for both of us.”
Smith is planning on soaking up as much as he can during next week’s All-Star festivities. The game is Tuesday in Atlanta.
“It’s going to be really cool to meet all those guys,” Smith said. “It kind of hit me (Sunday) night — who is going to be in that locker room with me. I’m a rookie here, and I’m going to be a rookie over there.
“I’m really looking forward to picking their brains a little bit and seeing how they do stuff and, especially in a moment like that, how they handle everything else around the baseball will be interesting.”
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“Overall, he’s done a nice job kind of navigating his way first time through the league and feels strong, feels like he’s learning and getting better. He’s held his own for sure.” — Counsell on rookie right-hander Cade Horton’s first-half performance Wednesday following his last start before the All-Star break