Cubs vs. Rangers at Mesa preview, Friday 3/24, 3:05 CT

Mar 24, 2023 - 6:00 PM

The Cubs are a split squad today, but the other game is a night game at Goodyear against the Guardians that starts at 8:05 p.m. CT. The recap to this game will also serve as a preview for that game. There will also be a separate StoryStream for the night game because the Cubs are playing two different teams today and tonight.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Swanson SS, Happ LF, Bellinger CF, Mancini 1B, Hosmer DH, Gomes C, Madrigal 3B, Mastrobuoni RF, Vazquez 2B

Nico Hoerner is still out with biceps tightness. That’s Luis Vazquez at second base. He split last year between Tennessee and Iowa.

Rangers lineup:

Semien 2B, Seager SS, Lowe 1B, Jung 3B, Miller DH, Smith LF, Grossman RF, Leon C, Thompson CF

Marcus Stroman will start for the Cubs, his first outing after returning from the WBC. Other Cubs pitchers today: Javier Assad and Cam Sanders.

Andrew Heaney will start for the Rangers. Other Texas pitchers today: Jonathan Hernandez, Will Smith and Dane Dunning.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. Here’s a list of providers currently carrying Marquee. If you miss the live TV broadcast, there will be a rebroadcast on Marquee at 11 p.m. CT. No radio/audio for this game.

MLB.com Gameday

Please note that during spring training, Gameday doesn’t usually go pitch-by-pitch as it does during the regular season — usually, it will update after each at-bat.

Here is the complete MLB.com Mediacenter for today.

Please visit our SB Nation Rangers site Lone Star Ball. If you do go there to interact with Rangers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first-pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 3 p.m. CT and 4:30 p.m. CT.

These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.

Discuss amongst yourselves.