Kevin Gausman likely to make Cubs debut vs. Royals

It's been a rough season for Kevin Gausman, but his experience -- especially in the playoffs -- is a key factor in the Chicago Cubs trading for him this week.

The veteran right-hander reportedly will make his Cubs debut when the team tries for a fifth straight victory Friday night against the host Kansas City Royals.

Gausman, 35, went 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 starts for Toronto this season, but he has 11 quality starts. He allowed one run on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings during the Blue Jays' 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday in his most recent start.

Gausman has appeared in 14 postseason games for four different teams, including two in the World Series last year -- posting a 3.83 ERA in those contests.

Chicago currently sits atop the National League wild-card standings and is 33-15 since June 11, all while dealing with a rash of injuries to its pitching staff.

Thus, acquiring Gausman from Toronto on Sunday for two minor leaguers is a potential win-win scenario for both teams.

"He's been a durable, battle-tested starter that really fits," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.

Though it's possible Gausman is a rental for the rest of the season, he shares the same level of excitement as Counsell. The Cubs opted not to start Gausman against his former team Thursday, when the Cubs rallied for a 3-2 victory in 11 innings over the Blue Jays. Instead, Gausman will try to improve on his 2-3 record and 3.25 ERA in six career starts vs. Kansas City.

"I'm on a new team that's playing great right now and has high aspirations," Gausman told Sportsnet. "Hopefully, I can be a part of it."

Gausman and the Cubs will face the Royals, who are last in the AL Central but have lost only twice in their past 11 home games. Kansas City's most recent home defeat came Thursday, 4-3 against Minnesota.

Despite the loss, Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. had three hits and scored two runs. Witt is 6-for-12 in three games since he returned from a two-week stint on the injured list due to low-back tightness.

Witt is batting .324 with a homer and six RBIs in eight games against the Cubs. He's also 5-for-15 with two home runs vs. Gausman.

After Luinder Avila recently suffered a season-ending elbow injury, Kansas City announced reliever Daniel Lynch IV (4-2, 1.96 ERA) will make his first start of 2026 on Friday and his first career appearance vs. the Cubs. The left-hander has been solid through 46 appearances this season but is 11-23 with a 5.19 ERA in 56 career starts from 2021-25.

"He's been a starter before and, obviously, he's been really good out of the 'pen," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. "See how far he can get (Friday)."

Lynch will get his first look at NL MVP contender Pete Crow-Armstrong, who went 8-for-18 while Chicago swept a three-game home set from the Los Angeles Dodgers from Monday through Wednesday. He then stunned the Blue Jays in a make-up game Thursday, when he scored the winning run on an errant throw while stealing third base.

Chicago's Alex Bregman, who tied Thursday's contest with a two-run homer in the ninth, is batting .370 with two home runs and six RBIs over the last 11 games.

--Field Level Media