Cubs' Garrett Cooper already taking advantage of Wrigley Field power alleys

The last time first baseman Garrett Cooper homered at Wrigley Field, before Tuesday, was during the 2020 playoffs. Ballparks were still empty for the pandemic as Cooper’s Marlins swept the Cubs in a best-of-three Wild Card series.

“It was dead silent when I hit that home run,” he said. “So it would have been a little bit different with some boos from the crowd. It's a whole different animal coming to Wrigley when there's 40-50,000 people here.”

When asked why he chose to sign a non-roster invite deal with the Cubs this winter, Cooper first listed the opportunity and his familiarity with manager Craig Counsell and bench coach Ryan Flaherty. But then he brought up a third factor, which played out Tuesday when he went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and home run.

“As a DH, first-base type,” Cooler said, “you want to go to a place where you're rewarded with some line drives that go out.”

He pointed to J.D. Martinez, who referenced similar factors when asked about turning down an offer from the Giants.

“It's not the best hitter-friendly park for me," Martinez told reporters at his Mets introductory press conference. "If I go there and I hit .260 with 20 [home runs], people are going to say I'm old and washed up, and I'm done, and find myself out of the game.”

Cooper, who made the team out of spring training, was drawn to the power-alley dimensions at Wrigley Field. And on Tuesday, he hit a three-run homer to right-center field. This time, there were fans in the stands to react. And this time, they were on his side.

Six-day rotation

The Cubs are sticking as closely as they can to a six-day rotation, using five regular starting pitchers. That equation is a little more complicated now that the Cubs are down to five starters, following lefty Justin Steele’s hamstring strain in his season debut. The Cubs threw a bullpen game on Wednesday, starting lefty reliever Luke Little.

Regardless, it’s a different setup than the traditional five-man rotation schedule that the Cubs have mostly stuck to in recent years.

“I think every season and every team and every group of players presents their own strengths and their own set of challenges, and the things that we're going to try to protect, and the strengths that we're going to try to accentuate,” Counsell said. “So every team is a little bit different, and every roster is a little bit different, and during the season, the roster changes. So that's why there's just not one, ‘this is how you do it.’ You just kind of read in your team and try to put people in positions to succeed.”

Injury update

Counsell said right-hander Jameson Taillon's live batting practice session Tuesday at the Cubs’ Arizona complex went well. Taillon (strained back) remains on track to make a minor-league rehab start on Sunday. But it will likely be for Double-A Tennessee, rather than Triple-A Iowa, for weather-related reasons.

Taillon is expected to make multiple rehab outings before returning from the injured list, Counsell said.