April 18, 2026Updated 9:13 am EDT
The Chicago Cubs ride a three-game winning streak into a home contest versus the New York Mets at 2:20 p.m. ET on Saturday. Jameson Taillon (0-1, 4.86 ERA) will start for the Cubs, who are 10-9 this season and fifth in the NL Central. Freddy Peralta (1-1, 3.86 ERA) is starting for the Mets, who are 7-13 and fifth in the NL East.
How to watch New York Mets vs. Chicago CubsMets vs. Cubs odds
Injury reportsCubs
Daniel Palencia: 15 Day IL (Oblique), Matthew Boyd: 15 Day IL (Biceps), Porter Hodge: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Hunter Harvey: 15 Day IL (Tricep), Jordan Wicks: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Cade Horton: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Phil Maton: 15 Day IL (Knee), Ethan Roberts: 15 Day IL (Finger), Justin Steele: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Shelby Miller: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Christopher Austin: 60 Day IL (Knee)
Mets
Juan Soto: 10 Day IL (Calf), Jared Young: 10 Day IL (Knee), A.J. Minter: 15 Day IL (Lat), Joey Gerber: 15 Day IL (Finger), Dedniel Nunez: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Tylor Megill: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Justin Hagenman: 60 Day IL (Rib), Reed Garrett: 60 Day IL (Elbow)
Stats to know
Chicago’s Nico Hoerner is slashing .342/.420/.553 this season with three home runs, 20 RBIs (2nd in MLB) and an OPS of .973 (14th in MLB). He has a 10.2% strikeout rate and a 10.2% walk rate in 88 plate appearances, and he has scored 13 total runs. Hoerner has recorded six steals on six attempts.
In 79 plate appearances, Dansby Swanson is hitting .210/.354/.419 with a .774 OPS and one steal on one attempt. He has hit four long balls, driven in 12 runs and scored 19 times.
New York’s Francisco Alvarez is slashing .294/.410/.549 this season with four home runs, five RBIs and an OPS of .959 (17th in MLB). He has a 17.5% strikeout rate and a 12.7% walk rate in 63 plate appearances, and he has scored seven total runs.
In 74 plate appearances, Luis Robert has hit two long balls, tallied seven RBIs and scored nine runs. He is batting .242/.365/.355 and has posted a 21.6% strikeout rate and a 16.2% walk rate. Robert has recorded two steals on three attempts.
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
Apr 18, 2026
Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today’s puzzle