Dodgers at Cubs: Preview, Form & Who to Watch
Two national windows in two days, and deservedly so: the two-time defending World Series champions roll into Wrigley Field to face the team leading the National League Wild Card race. It's a genuine measuring-stick series for the Cubs — and it comes right as the August 3 trade deadline reshapes both rosters. Here's the form guide.
The standings picture
Los Angeles arrives at 67–40, running away with the NL West by roughly 11 games and owning one of the two best records in the National League. Chicago sits at 61–46, second in the NL Central behind a strong Milwaukee side but holding the top NL Wild Card spot. In other words: the Dodgers are playing for seeding, the Cubs are playing to prove they belong in October. (Records as of late July 2026, per the clubs' standings pages; they move daily.)
| Dodgers | 67–40 · 1st NL West (+~11) · among NL's best records |
| Cubs | 61–46 · 2nd NL Central · holding NL Wild Card #1 |
The season series so far
The Dodgers lead the 2026 season series 2–1, from a three-game set at Dodger Stadium back in April — the Cubs took the opener before Los Angeles answered with a pair of blowouts. This Wrigley set is the rematch, and a chance for Chicago to even the ledger against the club everyone in the NL is chasing.
A banged-up Dodgers rotation
The Dodgers' record is carrying a heavily depleted pitching staff. Tyler Glasnow (back) and Blake Snell (elbow) have spent big chunks of the year on the injured list and are only working back; closer Edwin Díaz has been rehabbing from elbow surgery; and Shohei Ohtani, while still hitting, has been managing left-knee inflammation that has slowed his return to the mound. How manager Dave Roberts patches together starting pitching at Wrigley is a real subplot — and a reason the Cubs' bats could find an opening.
The Cubs at full strength
Chicago, by contrast, is largely healthy at the right time. Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has been the club's spark all year (a power-and-speed season in the neighborhood of 23 homers and 26 steals), offseason prize Alex Bregman anchors the middle of the order, and Shota Imanaga fronts the rotation, with Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ around them. A Wrigley crowd in a national window against the defending champions is exactly the stage the Cubs wanted this signing group for.
Deadline backdrop
The series is bookended by the August 3 trade deadline (6 p.m. ET on the series' eve), so both rosters may shift mid-week. The Dodgers were reported to have added bullpen depth (right-hander Seth Halvorsen from Colorado); the Cubs bolstered their pitching earlier in the summer. Treat any deadline-day additions as they're officially announced.
The stakes
The Dodgers are chasing a three-peat, without the retired Clayton Kershaw for the first time since 2007 but with a lineup deep enough to survive the pitching injuries. For the Cubs, beating this team on national TV would be the clearest signal yet that their Wild Card position is no fluke.
Ones to Watch
Our picks below are informed opinion based on the form above — not a crystal ball.
Even limited to hitting while his knee settles, Ohtani is the reason casual fans tune in. In a hitter-friendly Wrigley setting, he's the Dodger most capable of taking over a national window.
The most dynamic player Chicago has, and the one who can most exploit a short-handed Dodgers pitching staff with his legs and center-field defense.
Brought in for exactly this: a proven, disciplined hitter to lean on against a champion. How he handles whatever arms the Dodgers can run out is a series-swinger.
How to watch: the series draws two national windows — see the fact box above for this game's exact carrier and first pitch. Our How to Watch MLB in 2026 guide explains where TBS and MLB Network fit in the 2026 map.
Full game details & how to watch →
Form and standings verified as of publication (Wednesday, July 29, 2026) with sources cited in-line where relevant. "Ones to watch" are our opinion — see our Editorial Policy. First pitch shown in US Eastern; on the schedule it converts to your local zone.