Want the latest baseball news? Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune<\/a> to read it all \u2014 and sign up for our Cubs Insider<\/a>\u00a0and White Sox Insider<\/a> newsletters.<\/p>\n \u2018Surreal\u2019 debut for Cubs prospect James Triantos Triantos didn\u2019t have much time to think when his name was called.<\/p>\n Called up July 24<\/a> in Pittsburgh, Triantos made his MLB debut one day later as a pinch hitter. Known for his bat-to-ball skills, Triantos took an 0-2 pitch the opposite way for a single off Pirates reliever Brandon Eisert for his first big-league hit. Triantos had about 15 friends and family members in the stands at PNC Park to see the milestone. He plans to frame his first-hit ball with the jersey he wore and potentially the bat he used.<\/p>\n \u201cIt happened fast, but I knew that I\u2019ve done this every single day forever,\u201d Triantos told the Tribune. \u201cIt\u2019s still the same game. I\u2019ve got a job to do, and I was pretty focused, present for the moment at least. So that made it a little bit easier. You\u2019ve still got to throw it in the zone, and you\u2019ve still got to hit it. It\u2019s the same game.\u201d<\/p>\n Triantos, 23, stayed in the game and took over at second base for the final two innings. But in that moment running to first as he watched the ball get to the outfield, all he felt was joy.<\/p>\n \u201cI visualized this thousands of times and hit a line drive through the four hole probably about 980 times, it\u2019s just just how I drew it up,\u201d Triantos said. \u201cI didn\u2019t really smell the roses until I got out in the field and was able to look around. Once when they were like, \u2018You\u2019re hitting,\u2019 I was like, \u2018All right, I\u2019ve got to focus on it, I\u2019ve got to be on it.\u2019 But once I got out in the field was when I really got to just look around and take a deep breath and take it all in. It was pretty surreal.\u201d<\/p>\n Triantos got a pinch-hit at-bat in Tuesday\u2019s 10-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, grounding out to first. Playing time is expected to be sporadic while he\u2019s with the Cubs right now, but the organization felt his first big-league call-up would be valuable for their 2021 second-round pick.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been awesome,\u201d Triantos said. \u201cJust watching how they\u2019re going about their business, how they handle themselves, whether things are going well or not going well. Just watching and observing and picking up stuff that I could use, I could get better at.\u201d<\/p>\n Jordan Hicks impresses Sox with \u2018spectacle\u2019 Grant Taylor spoke in amazement after watching fellow reliever Jordan Hicks come through for the Sox in the 12th inning Wednesday against the Yankees.<\/p>\n \u201cA spectacle, 102 (mph), 102, 102, being able to put up a zero is huge,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n Hicks got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam without allowing a run. The Sox scored in the bottom of the 12th on Edgar Quero\u2019s single for a 6-5 victory.\u00a0Hicks picked up the win, his first with the Sox.<\/p>\n \u201cNot the way I drew it up, but it worked out,\u201d HIcks said after the game. \u201cToday was the hardest I\u2019ve thrown all season. Just being in and around the zone, the best pitch was the one to (Ben) Rice, the slider to strike him out. After that I had full confidence I was going to get out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n After striking out Rice swinging for the second out, Hicks went to a full count with Ali S\u00e1nchez and got the catcher to ground out to second baseman Chase Meidroth. All seven pitches against S\u00e1nchez were clocked at more than 100 mph.<\/p>\n Hicks extended his career-high scoreless streak to 14 games (13 1\/3 innings). He has a .089 opponents average (4-for-45) during the span.\u00a0He has a 3.19 ERA in 34 relief outings this season.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter coming off rehab, I took my arm slot up a little bit,\u201d said Hicks, who was on the injured list from May 21-June 21 with a right lat strain. \u201cJust really started enforcing the four-seam in the zone and playing catch with it. I feel like those two things, really trying to get back to the 2023 version, but I feel like I\u2019m throwing more strikes than back then. Everything is working right now.\u201d<\/p>\n Number of the week: 50 Friday: vs. Yankees, 1:20 p.m., Marquee The Cubs\u2019 injured list remains lengthy.<\/p>\n Fourteen players are on the IL, but the pitching staff could gain some reinforcements within the next two months.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like everything else, we\u2019re going to have some success stories there and we\u2019ll probably have some setbacks,\u201d manager Craig Counsell said. \u201cBut there\u2019s enough names you\u2019re talking about that you\u2019re going to have some good results there.\u201d<\/p>\n Right-hander Edward Cabrera<\/a> (left hamstring strain) threw a bullpen Wednesday and will begin his rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Iowa. Cabrera will likely need three rehab starts before rejoining the Cubs rotation, Counsell said, which puts him on track for a mid-August return.<\/p>\n Lefty reliever Hoby Milner<\/a> (appendectomy) retired all three batters he faced Wednesday in his first rehab assignment with Iowa. Milner is expected to get at least one more rehab outing before the Cubs activate him from the IL.<\/p>\n Closer Daniel Palencia<\/a> (flexor tendon strain) will throw live batting practice this weekend, potentially doing it at Wrigley Field, then either do another live BP before starting his rehab assignment or go on his rehab assignment next week. Palencia will need a couple of rehab outings.<\/p>\n Infielder\/outfielder Matt Shaw (left hand sprain) is at the team\u2019s complex in Arizona continuing to rehab but hasn\u2019t advanced to full hitting yet. The injury initially seemed minor, but Shaw has been sidelined a month.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s progressing but cautiously would be probably the best way to say it,\u201d Counsell said of Shaw.<\/p>\n Right-hander Ben Brown<\/a> (stress reaction in neck) is playing catch daily as he builds up volume and intensity, essentially at the pre-spring training phase of building up. Bullpens are \u201ca ways away still,\u201d Counsell said.<\/p>\n
\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CTC-Z-CUBS-TRIANTOS_750016.jpg\")
The Cubs’ James Triantos hits a single for his first major-league hit against the Pirates at PNC Park on July 25, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (Justin Berl\/Getty)<\/p>\n
\n![\"White](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ctc-l-sox-yankees-0729-48.jpg\")
White Sox reliever Jordan Hicks yells after the final out of the top of the 12th inning against the Yankees on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at Rate Field. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n
\nThe Cubs have five players with 50 RBIs or more this season: Dansby Swanson (61), Pete Crow-Armstrong (61), Seiya Suzuki (60), Michael Busch (58) and Nico Hoerner (50). Only the Atlanta Braves, with six, have more players with 50-plus RBIs. Ian Happ is two RBIs away from reaching the mark.
\nWeek ahead: Cubs
\n![\"Chicago](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/CTC-L-cubs-giants007.jpg\")
Cubs starter Edward Cabrera delivers against the Giants on June 5, 2026, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n
\nSaturday: vs. Yankees, 6:15 p.m., Fox
\nSunday: vs. Yankees, 1:20 p.m., Marquee
\nMonday: vs. Dodgers, 7:05 p.m., Marquee
\nTuesday: vs. Dodgers, 7:05 p.m., Marquee
\nWednesday: vs. Dodgers, 1:20 p.m., Marquee
\nThursday: vs. Blue Jays, 1:20 p.m., Marquee<\/p>\n
![\"White](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ctc-l-sox-yankees-0727-18.jpg\")
White Sox right fielder Braden Montgomery runs to third after hitting an RBI triple during against the Yankees on Monday, July 27, 2026, at Rate Field. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n