With just a few days left in the MLB regular season, the first NL Wild Card matchup is set: the Chicago Cubs will take on the San Diego Padres.
Two teams that were more than capable of pulling off a division title, but multiple factors played into the part when determining their spots in the playoffs. It will be a battle of two juggernauts in the best-of-three series.
The Cubs will be the higher seed for the matchup, but one of their breakout stars this season has raised some concerns after a setback was revealed.
Cubs optimistic about Cade Horton's status for Wild Card series
The Chicago Cubs' Rookie of the Year candidate, starting pitcher Cade Horton, was pulled out of his last start of the regular season after revealing a back injury. It was revealed that an MRI showed "some areas of concern," according to Cubs manager Craig Counsell.
"Right now, Cade is a go," said Counsell. "Look, the reason we want to get as much information as you can is you want to make sure it’s safe for Cade to go out there and pitch," he added, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
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Although the mid-back injury has made the Cubs cautious with the rookie, both sides are adamant that Horton will be ready to start in either Game 1 or Game 2 of the series against the San Diego Padres.
Heading into Friday, the Cubs sit atop the Wild Card standings, but home-field advantage for the series remains unsettled. The Padres trail by just two games. This means that Chicago will control their own fate as it closes the regular season in a series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
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