Matthew Boyd to start Game 1 for the Cubs against San Diego

Matthew Boyd will start Game 1 for the Chicago CubsChicago CubsUnited States against the San Diego Padres, with right-hander Michael King lined up to pitch the opener for San Diego. The Cubs' choice of a left-hander for the first game of the series is the settled part of their plan. Alex Bregman's availability at third base is not.

The two starters throw from opposite sides, which shapes how both batting orders are likely to be built for the opener. Naming Boyd first also fixes the point from which the rest of Chicago's rotation is arranged, even though nothing beyond Game 1 has been laid out.

Boyd's assignment comes at the front of the series, which means he carries the game that sets the tone for whatever follows. Chicago have not indicated how deep into the game they expect him to go, or who would follow him out of the bullpen.

Season

Bregman's third-base question

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Bregman's status at third base is unresolved. His availability on defence is reported to be up in the air, and no decision on whether he plays the position in Game 1 has been announced. The reason for the uncertainty has not been set out, and no timeframe has been given for settling it.

Why the Game 1 pitching call matters

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An opener's starting pitcher is not only the first arm used in a series; the choice sets the order of everything behind it. A manager who names a left-hander for Game 1 can plan his bullpen differently across the games that follow, and the opposing lineup is assembled with that first look in mind. Boyd for Chicago and King for San Diego frame the opening game more than either name does on its own.

That leaves the Cubs with one decision accounted for and another still open. A third-base call reaches beyond the batting order: it decides who covers the left side of the infield and how the pitching staff is protected behind him, which is one reason a club may wait before committing.

What has not been settled

• Whether Alex Bregman will start at third base, and how Chicago covers the position if he does not.
• How the Cubs' rotation lines up behind Boyd for the remainder of the series.
• San Diego's lineup behind Michael King, and how the Padres plan to use their bullpen.

The Cubs have not set out how they would align defensively without Bregman at third, and their plan for the games after the opener has not been detailed.

The opener will answer the third-base question simply by being played. Until the first pitch, Chicago's pitching plan is the part of the picture that is fixed and the infield is the part still open.