The Cubs head east for their first road divisional matchup of the season with the Pirates followed by a tilt with the elite Braves in Atlanta.

This road trip is coming after an off-day Thursday, the first respite for the Cubs in over 2 weeks (16 straight games).

The Cubs went 9-7 over that span and they ended the stretch with great news on the injury front as Justin Steele returned Monday and Cody Bellinger reignited the lineup Tuesday. Seiya Suzuki isn’t far behind and should be activated off the IL this weekend.

Pitching probables

Pittsburgh

Friday: RHP Javier Assad vs. RHP Jared Jones
Saturday: LHP Justin Steele vs. RHP Paul Skenes
Sunday: TBD vs. LHP Bailey Falter

Assad has been phenomenal for the Cubs this season, pairing with Shota Imanaga as the only stabilizing force in a rotation filled with injuries.

Steele’s return last week was a huge boost for the team, allowing Ben Brown to move back into a reliever role which should help a struggling bullpen.

Friday initially marked Jameson Taillon’s turn in the rotation and he will likely be lined up to start on Sunday. That would afford him some extra rest. He has taken on a big load in the rotation since coming off the IL when he missed the first 3 weeks of the season after a back injury slowed him in spring.

If Taillon is unable to go, Brown could get a spot start or the Cubs could opt for a bullpen day.

The Pirates have a pair of exciting young right-handers going in the series. First with Jones on Friday and then with Skenes on Saturday in what will be the MLB debut for the 1st overall pick last summer.

Atlanta

Monday: LHP Shota Imanaga vs. RHP Reynaldo López
Tuesday: RHP Hayden Wesneski vs. LHP Chris Sale
Wednesday: RHP Javier Assad vs. RHP Charlie Morton

Imanaga will have another opportunity to continue his stellar start to the season. To date, he has been the best pitcher in the game with a 5-0 record, league-leading 1.08 ERA and 0.82 WHIP.

Wesneski has been big for the Cubs, filling in the rotation with Kyle Hendricks and Jordan Wicks on the IL.

López has been right up there with Imanaga as one of the best pitchers in the game in the early going with a 1.53 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 6 starts. Meanwhile, Chris Sale has emerged as the ace in his first season in Atlanta with a 5-1 record, 2.95 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

Quote of the Week

“Recently, it’s been hard for me to get up in the morning so if I switch the fans cheering to my alarm, I think I’ll get up pretty fast,” – Shota Imanaga had jokes after his outing Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.

Storylines to keep an eye on

—The Cubs rotation is among the best in baseball with a 3.07 ERA on the season. And that’s including Kyle Hendricks’ 12.00 ERA through his first 5 starts.

—The starting staff has been keeping the team in game while the offense has slumped a bit lately (averaging 2.8 runs per game over the last 12). But with Bellinger and Suzuki back, the lineup suddenly has a lot of length and the pressure is off the other guys.

—After the Cubs get done playing the Pirates and Braves, they’ll return home to take on…the Pirates and Braves. In a weird scheduling quirk, from May 9 through May 23, the only teams the Cubs play are the Pirates and Braves!