The Cubs will open the 2018 season Thursday with the hope that Ian Happ will stabilize the leadoff spot.
Happ will bat leadoff as the Cubs face the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. The Cubs are optimistic that the switch-hitting Happ can provide production at the top after they struggled to find a production combination in 2017.
Left-hander Jon Lester will make his seventh career opening day start and his third first-game assignment since joining the Cubs in 2015.
Here are the lineups:
CUBS
Happ cf
Bryant 3b
Rizzo 1b
Contreras c
Schwarber lf
Russell ss
Heyward rf
Baez 2b
Lester p
MARLINS
Brinson cf
Dietrich lf
Castro 2b
Bour 1b
Anderson 3b
Cooper rf
Rojas ss
Wallach c
Urenaa p
mgonzales@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @MDGonzales
Recharged Cubs have eyes on World Series prize: ‘I see a lot of hunger’ »
Paul Sullivan: Smooth sailing ahead for the Cubs — at least until October »
10 members of the 2017 Cubs are gone. Where are they now? »