Cubs’ Best Playoff Pitcher Named Game 5 Starter vs. Brewers
Think back to that Opening Day series in Japan against the Los Angeles, how many of you would have guessed that left-handed reliever Drew Pomeranz would be named the Game 5 starter in the NLDS for the Chicago Cubs? The answer is zero because the 36-year-old pitcher wasn’t even in the Cubs organization until the Seattle Mariners traded him to Chicago on April 21.
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Now, in a win or go home game in Milwaukee Cubs’ manager Craig Counsell is handing the ball over to Pomeranz, who had not pitched in the majors prior to this season since 2021. The left-handed pitcher has been perfect in the postseason, tossing five shutout innings. Pomeranz has struck five batters, while not allowing a single hitter to reach base.
Pomeranz will be tasked to shut down the Brewers in the first inning Saturday night. Milwaukee scored 10 runs in the first inning combined through the first three games of the NLDS, including six in Game 1 and three in Game 2.
On Friday, ESPN 1000’s Marc Silverman speculated that the Cubs were thinking about not using Shōta Imanaga whatsoever in Game 5 against the Brewers, citing his struggles and loss of confidence. We’ll see who follows Pomeranz, but Counsell has already promised that everyone except for Matthew Boyd will be available to use.
49ers expected to check in with Bengals about a Trey Hendrickson trade
The San Francisco 49ers are 4-1, sitting atop the NFC West. But, they aren't a final roster by any means. With injuries to multiple offensive positions and some defensive uncertainty, the 49ers have a few reasons to be active at the trade deadline.
One of those positions that the 49ers need to address is along their defensive line, specifically, in adding a pass rusher to replace the injured Nick Bosa.
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the 49ers are not just going to canvass the pass rusher trade market, but they're expected to make a call to the Cincinnati Bengals about star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
49ers expected to call Bengals about a Trey Hendrickson trade
While the Bengals have dealt with an injury to their starting quarterback like the 49ers have, their record is vastly different. At 2-3, the Bengals might be moving towards a sell-off if their schedule leading up to the trade deadline goes poorly.
"San Francisco is canvassing the pass rusher market to fill the void left by Nick Bosa's injury," Russini reports. "I expected them to call Cincinnati about Trey Hendrickson."
The Bengals' star pass rusher was one of many stars in Cincinnati going through contract disputes. He and the Bengals eventually agreed to a one-year, $29 million restructured deal, which would have Hendrickson hitting the open market after 2025.
Now, with the Bengals down, Joe Burrow at risk of falling significantly behind in the playoff hunt, Hendrickson could be on the move to get back any value instead of letting him stick with the team through a lost year.
The four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher was an All-Pro for the first time in his NFL career in 2024, and for good reason. He led the NFL in sacks with 17.5, which was also the second-straight year with 17.5 sacks.
So far this season, in five games, Hendrickson has four sacks, 13 tackles, and eight quarterback hits. He'd be one of the hottest commodities if he were to become available at the deadline, though, for now, the Bengals aren't likely to trade him.
But, if they continue to lose as the deadline approaches, and 2025 looks more and more like a lost season, a team like the 49ers, in need of pass rush help after Bosa's injury, could pounce and offer a solid return for Cincinnati to land one of the best pass rushers in the game.
The 30-year-old pass rusher is a very intriguing name to watch at the deadline this season, and the 49ers are already being linked to a potential trade by an NFL insider.
It's not a surprise that the 49ers are checking in on Hendrickson with their pass rush injuries, but it's an encouraging sign that the front office would be willing to spend draft capital to bring in a star player like Hendrickson for a Super Bowl push this season.
