MLB Game Preview - Chicago at Pittsburgh

Tue Sep 1, 2020 7:05 PM EDT

Both clubs could have a new face or two on the field Monday when the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates open a three-game series at PNC Park.

The Cubs made three deals Monday at the trade deadline, acquiring left-hander Andrew Chafin from Arizona; left-hander Josh Osich from Boston; and outfielder Cameron Maybin from Detroit.

"Left-handed relief and right-handed hitters that can hit left-handed pitching -- those were two of the main goals that we had for the deadline," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said.

The two pitchers are expected to add depth to the Chicago bullpen, although Chafin won't be playing in Pittsburgh. He is on the 10-day IL because of a sprained finger on his left hand.

Osich figures to be available right away. In 13 outings this season, Osich has a 5.74 ERA with 20 strikeouts and five walks in 15 2/3 innings. Five of the 10 earned runs he had allowed came Aug. 21 against Baltimore.

Maybin hit .244 with Detroit and played right field. He was limited to 14 games because of a right quad injury but returned in mid-August.

The Pirates made no moves Monday but nevertheless are expected to have an intriguing player on the field Tuesday.

According to several reports, third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes already was in Pittsburgh on Monday and will be added to the roster in time to make his major league debut, and perhaps start, Tuesday.

Hayes, 23, is a defensive wiz who was the 32nd overall pick in the 2015 draft and has been a touted prospect for some time. Last year, Hayes became only the second player, and first since 1961, to win a Rawlings minor league baseball Gold Glove three years in a row.

"I think when he gets here, it's going to be exciting," Pirates manager Derek Shelton told AT&T Sportsnet. "We're talking about an elite defender, somebody that really stood out during spring training. He's one of those guys that when I got the job, people talked about how good he was defensively, and he came as advertised, if not better.

"But the thing that's the most impressive is his heartbeat. He really has the ability to slow the game down. Probably comes from growing up in a family where his father (Charlie Hayes) was a really good major league player, and was on World Series teams and won World Series."

Pittsburgh just lost three of four at Milwaukee. The Cubs split a four-game series in Cincinnati and were off Monday.

In the series opener, Chicago left-hander Jon Lester (2-1, 4.55 ERA) is scheduled to face Pittsburgh right-hander Chad Kuhl (1-1, 2.52 ERA).

Lester had some mixed numbers in his last outing, giving up one earned run, eight hits and a walk, with five strikeouts, in five innings Wednesday in a no-decision against Detroit. The Tigers had at least one base runner in each of his five innings, multiple base runners in three innings.

Still, that was a rebound after his previous two starts, when he allowed 13 earned runs over 9 2/3 innings.

Lester is 12-6 with a 3.10 ERA in 24 career starts against Pittsburgh.

Kuhl is having a fairly strong comeback season after sitting out 2019 because of Tommy John surgery.

He has made six appearances, four starts, and has given up one run or fewer in five of those appearances.

Thursday was one of those, as he allowed one run in six innings in a start at St. Louis.

Kuhl is 1-6 with a 6.75 ERA in 10 career appearances, nine starts, against the Cubs.

--Field Level Media