Javier Assad had the worst start of his career as the Chicago Cubs got crushed by the Philadelphia Phillies in Monday’s series opener. The right-handed pitcher only lasted 4.1 innings, which meant that journeyman lefty Charlie Barnes came in relief in mop-up duty after Jacob Webb recorded the final two outs in the fifth. After watching the Phillies score 13 runs on 15 hits, Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced a new starting pitcher for the second game of the series.
The Cubs used the opener throughout the 2025 season, and Counsell is utilizing the strategy Tuesday night. Instead of veteran right-hander Colin Rea, it’ll be rookie lefty Riley Martin making the start against the Phillies.
We saw how much damage the Phillies can cause from the left side of the plate on Monday night as Kyle Schwarber hit two home runs, Bryce Harper reached base twice, and Brandon Marsh broke the game open with a two-run double as part of his three-hit performance. Those lefties all hit in the top five of Philadelphia’s batting order, so instead of Rea facing them right away it’ll be Martin.
The Cubs called up Martin earlier this season after Cade Horton went down with an elbow injury. The 28-year-old pitcher has appeared in three games so far since his big-league promotion, and Martin still hasn’t allowed a run. The left-handed pitcher has three strikeouts and no walks, while giving up two hits in 3.1 innings of work.
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There’s a possibility that Martin may pitch multiple innings on Tuesday. He does have previous experience as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues, including a three-inning outing for the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A to begin his year.
As a team, the Phillies rank 25th in MLB with a 59 wRC+ when hitting against left-handed pitching so far in 2026. They’re slashing .173/.286/.252, and have two home runs in 161 plate appearances. The Cubs don’t want them to get an extra look at Rea, as the Phillies have been much better against right-handed pitching, posting a .759 OPS compared to a .538 OPS against left-handed pitching.
The Cubs used an opener twice in 2025, with Rea coming in afterward as the bulk pitcher, and it worked out great: Rea threw 5.1 innings in each game and allowed only one earned run.
So far in 2026, Rea has pitched in three games, and although he only has one official start, he was the one who came in relief in the second inning when Horton left with his injury against the Cleveland Guardians. Like he did last year, Rea is doing a great job filling in. He pitched five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays last week and allowed only one run on two hits.
