Chicago Cubs news and notes — Happ, Martin, Brown

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• Steve Drumwright (North Side Baseball): Cubs Activate Ethan Roberts Off Injured List. “The right-hander missed more than two weeks while recovering from a finger laceration. Right-hander Gavin Hollowell shipped back to Iowa.”

• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): ‘This Week in Baseball’ is Loving on the Chicago Cubs. “It makes me happy to see that MLB has brought back a version of the program itself, and makes me even happier to see the Chicago Cubs featured so prominently this week.”

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune): 3 numbers that stand out in the Chicago Cubs’ 9-game winning streak: ‘It’s pretty special’. “yes, all things considered, you look at where our record is and how we’ve gotten there, I think we’ve played well,” Jed Hoyer said “But we have five more months to go and we’ve got to keep doing it.”

• Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): Ian Happ’s Endless Consistency Is Going To Get Him Paid. “Happ is setting himself up to be one of the top free agents on next winter’s market. Will the Cubs pay up to keep him in Chicago?”

• Tyler O’Shea (Joker Mag): Riley Martin’s Road to the Big Leagues Began as a D2 Non-Prospect Already Enrolled in Pharmacy School ““I was thinking, I’m probably not gonna get drafted. This is probably my last season of baseball…I was like, ‘This is my last chance at it.’”“

• Steve Greenspan (MLB.com): Deep, balanced lineup a winning formula for Cubs. “Do the Cubs have the best lineup in baseball?”

• Ron Luce (SportsNetOnTap): Ben Brown’s Confidence Leads to New Chapter in 2026 as Starting Pitcher. “Ben Brown starts a new chapter in the 2026 season, getting the start in Texas as he builds back up into a starter for the Chicago Cubs.”

• Gordon Edes (Chicago Sun-Times): Shota Imanaga, Cubs beat Reds 8-3 for 15th consecutive home victory. “This is what happens when the Cubs are off to their best start at Wrigley Field since 1923, nine years after its doors first opened for an outlaw team in an outlaw league that shortly went out of business.”

• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): Too soon? Cubs join elite company as home win streak hits 15. “Are the Cubs peaking too soon?”

• Mike Wadleigh (Larry Brown Sports): Cubs accomplish rare feat not seen since 1955 Dodgers. “The Cubs now have two nine-game win streaks this season, making them the first team since the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers to have multiple nine-game win streaks in the first 38 games.”

• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Cubs strike trade with Athletics to address ailing pitching staff. “The team’s surprise acquisition of right-hander Tyler Ferguson from the Athletics Thursday afternoon gives a much better idea of the type of moves we can expect to see.”

• Mike Axisa (CBS Sports): Reds’ Tyler Stephenson’s mental error vs. Cubs is latest example of lack of fundamentals across baseball. “ Five years after Javier Báez broke the Pirates’ brains running to first base, Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson forgot to tag the Cubs’ runner coming home Thursday. He thought it was a force play. Nope. Stephenson had to apply the tag but just didn’t do it.“

• Jackson Stone (MLB.com): Cubs haven’t had a Wrigley winning streak like this one in 91 years. “The North Siders cruised to an 8-3 win over the Reds at Wrigley Field …..to mark Chicago’s 15th consecutive win at home.”

• Gordon Edes (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs pitcher Ben Brown will start Friday’s game against Rangers. “Craig Counsell said he has made a point of giving Brown multiple innings. He went 3 innings in each of his first two appearances this season”

• Jared Bloom (Sporting News): Cubs’ Shota Imanaga finds his rookie form and a spot in the pitching power rankings “After a second-half swoon in ’25 and some offseason drama, Imanaga has carried the Cubs’ staff with a 2.40 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning through seven outings.”

• Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery): “Booth is Literally Shaking” Pete Crow-Armstrong Stuns Cincinnati Reds’ Announcer. “Before Michael Busch walked to load the bases, PCA had Wrigley rocking (Video, Reds announcers):

• Ron Luce (SportsNetOnTap): Cubs Recall Gavin Hollowell, DFA Corbin Martin. “The Chicago Cubs designated Corbin Martin for assignment after a pair of rough outings and called up RHP Gavin Hollowell.“

• Evan Shuster (Chicago Cubs on SI): Cubs Share That Matthew Boyd’s Return Timeline is Better Than Expected.“Matthew Boyd has seemingly dodged a more severe meniscus injury, according to Cubs GM Carter Hawkins.”

Food For Thought:

JT Coldfire (James Thomas Uvalle, 1980–2015) was a highly regarded Texas blues-rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter known as a staple of the Austin music scene. Renowned for his raw, energetic “Texas roadhouse” style and prolific live performances, he released albums including Crazy Sun and Always & Never before his untimely passing.

He was a self-taught guitarist who started his career at age 11, playing professionally for over 15 years. His music was a blend of jump blues, Texas blues, and outlaw country, often compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Freddie King but with a unique, gritty vocal style. Often cited as one of the hardest-working musicians in Austin, he was known for long, intense live sets. He traveled extensively, playing from Texas to Europe.

Athlete pulls 21,737-pound bus with his neck —  A 49-year-old athlete from Aruba earned his 10th Guinness World Records title by pulling a bus a distance of more than 65 feet using his neck. Egmond Molina used a rope around his neck to pull the 21,737-pound bus on Jan. 9, and Guinness World Records has now confirmed he officially broke the record for the heaviest vehicle pulled by the neck.

“With the rope compressing my airway, I must generate force while carefully controlling my breathing under intense strain. It becomes a psychological battle to remain composed while the body is under severe stress,” Molina told Guinness World Records. The strongman’s previous Guinness World Records titles include the fastest 20-meter bus pull with one finger, 33.32 seconds; the fastest 20-meter tram pull with teeth, 39.9 seconds; the fastest hot water bottle burst, 2.87 seconds; and the most crown cap bottles opened with both hands in 30 seconds, 6 bottles. (VIDEO)

“We live on such an incredible planet! Enjoy this travel guide featuring the most incredible places of our world. From the wildlife of Africa, to the enchanting landscapes of Europe, there’s something worth seeing in every corner of our world. This video is my favorite to date and is took many years of traveling and months of editing to make! I can’t wait to share it with you.

Top 100 Places To Visit in The World – Ultimate Travel Guide (VIDEO)

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