April 8, 2026 11:18 am EDT

The Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs square off on Wednesday at 6:40 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, attempting to break a 1-1 series tie. Joe Boyle (0-0, 3.18 ERA) gets the start for the Rays, who are 5-6 this season and third in the AL East. Colin Rea (0-0, 4.26 ERA) is expected to start for the Cubs, who are 5-6 and fifth in the NL Central.

How to watch Chicago Cubs vs. Tampa Bay RaysCubs vs. Rays odds

Odds provided by BetMGM.

Injury reportsRays

Gavin Lux: 10 Day IL (Shoulder), Ryan Pepiot: 15 Day IL (Hip), Garrett Cleavinger: 15 Day IL (Calf), Edwin Uceta: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Manuel Rodriguez: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Steven Wilson: 60 Day IL (Back), Drew Rasmussen: day-to-day (Personal)

Cubs

Seiya Suzuki: 10 Day IL (Knee), Matthew Boyd: 15 Day IL (Biceps), Porter Hodge: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Jordan Wicks: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Cade Horton: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Justin Steele: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Shelby Miller: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Christopher Austin: 60 Day IL (Knee)

Stats to know
Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz has hit two home runs this season. He has also tallied 10 RBIs (12th in MLB) and has scored eight runs. In 51 plate appearances, he has recorded a .386 BA, .471 OBP and .591 SLG with a 7.8% walk rate and a 13.7% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording one steal on one attempt.
In 52 plate appearances, Jonathan Aranda is hitting .244/.327/.511 with a .838 OPS. He has hit three long balls (13th in MLB), driven in 10 runs (12th in MLB) and scored five times.
Nico Hoerner has hit no home runs this season. He has also tallied seven RBIs and has scored six runs. In 48 plate appearances, he has recorded a .297 BA, .438 OBP and .432 SLG with a 16.7% walk rate and a 12.5% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording five steals on five attempts.
In 45 plate appearances, Ian Happ has posted a 40% strikeout rate and an 11.1% walk rate while slashing .200/.289/.550 with four home runs (4th in MLB), seven RBIs and seven runs scored.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

Connections: Sports Edition LogoConnections: Sports Edition Logo

Apr 8, 2026

Connections: Sports Edition

Spot the pattern. Connect the terms

Find the hidden link between sports terms

Play today’s puzzle