The Cincinnati Reds are calling up their No 7 prospect Chase Petty to face the red-hot Cubs on Monday in the first game of a four-game series in Chicago.

The 23-year-old right-hander is taking the place of Cincinnati starter Brandon Williamson, who went on the injured list Thursday with left shoulder fatigue.

Petty is 2-2 with a 4.38 ERA in six starts for Triple-A Louisville. He has allowed 22 hits, struck out 29 and walked 11 in 24 2/3 innings.

“This is his regular turn,” manager Terry Francona told MLB.com. “He’s been pitching much better on the extra day (of rest), so that’s why they took him out early the other day — to try and mimic that as much as you can.”

Petty, who was a No. 1 pick (26th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in the 2021 MLB Draft, had a rough start to his major league career last season over a couple of call-ups, going 0-3 with a 19.50 ERA in six innings.

The Twins traded him to the Reds in 2022 for veteran right-hander Sonny Gray and minor league pitcher Francis Peguero.

Petty pitched well in spring training, however, and has added a new pitch.

“It’s almost like holding a circle change, spike up the middle finger on the seams and let it rip,” Petty told Sports Illustrated in spring training. “When it’s good, it’s going to be really good.”

The Reds are coming off being swept in Pittsburgh by scores of 9-1, 17-7 and 1-0.

Cincinnati received good news on the pitching front Sunday as starter Nick Lodolo is scheduled to join the team in Chicago and make his first start of the season Friday against the visiting Houston Astros.

The southpaw, who has been on IL after developing a blister on his left index finger in his last spring start, threw 79 pitches in his last rehab start for Louisville.

Petty will step into a tough spot at Wrigley Field as the Cubs are off to the best start through 34 games in club history at 22-12.

Chicago is coming off a sweep of the Diamondbacks, their third straight sweep at home.

The Cubs are 14-5 at Wrigley and are riding an 11-game win streak at home.

“There are strange plays at Wrigley Field and it is definitely an unique place to play,” Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. “I do feel over the course of a year, it is to our advantage. We really do try to dominate at Wrigley.”

The Cubs are scoring runs in bunches, much like Sunday when they tied a season high with six extra-base hits and scored in four different innings. Chicago also loaded the bases with one out in the eighth but did not score.

“Today was a good example of how we have been playing,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “We put pressure on the pitcher, making him make big pitch after big pitch. We have a chance to score in every inning. In every inning, there is action and that is a consistent offense.”

The Cubs will send Edward Cabrera (3-0, 3.06 ERA) to the mound to face the Reds.

The 28-year-old right-hander has won two of his last three starts, including an 8-3 road win over San Diego last Tuesday when he gave up six hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

Cabrera is 28-29 with a 3.99 ERA over 95 games, including 93 starts, for the Miami Marlins (2021-25) and Cubs.

He is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in two career starts against the Reds.

–Field Level Media

Milwaukee first baseman Andrew Vaughn is expected to rejoin the lineup when the Brewers begin a three-game series against the host St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, but left fielder Jackson Chourio’s return remains on hold.

Vaughn, out since March 27 after fracturing the hamate bone in his left hand on Opening Day, is set to return after playing three minor league rehab games over the weekend.

Chourio, like Vaughn, is recovering from a fractured left hand and has been on the injured list since Opening Day. Chourio’s expected return on Monday was delayed after he fouled a ball off his left ankle in Saturday’s rehab game for Triple-A Nashville.

“Fouled the ball off his left ankle and missed (his protective guard),” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “And you know, those things can be very painful. We got an X-ray on it right away and thank God it’s negative. We’ve got to see how he progresses.”

Milwaukee won two of three against the host Washington Nationals over the weekend, while St. Louis had its six-game winning streak snapped in a 4-1 home loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

The Brewers could use a power boost from both Vaughn and Chourio after the team was held without a home run in the weekend series against Washington.

“I think (the power) is something we need,” said Milwaukee catcher William Contreras. “I think we’ve been able to do a good job without them, but their return to the lineup will bring some power. It will be up to them to come back and get in a rhythm again, but no doubt, it will be good to have those guys back.”

Monday’s pitching matchup features a pair of right-handers as Milwaukee’s Chad Patrick (2-1, 2.57 ERA) faces the Cardinals’ Kyle Leahy (3-3, 5.52).

Patrick, 27, allowed one hit and two runs over five innings in a 13-2 home win over the Arizona Diamondbacks last Tuesday.

The Brewers are 4-2 in Patrick’s starts this season, and he is 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA in three career games (two starts) against the Cardinals.

St. Louis will counter with Leahy, who gave up three runs over 5 1/3 innings in an 11-7 road win over the Pittsburgh Pirates last Tuesday.

Leahy, 28, struck out a season-high seven batters while throwing 82 pitches.

“I mean, it’s progress,” Leahy said of pitching into the sixth inning. “A step in the right direction. But I still left the game not using my full pitch count. That’s not really how you want to end it.”

Leahy is 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA in eight career relief appearances versus Milwaukee. He is set to make his first start against the Brewers.

The Cardinals are looking to start a new win streak after falling to 20-14 with Sunday’s setback to Los Angeles. Despite the loss, St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol was encouraged by his team’s performance at the plate.

Masyn Winn and Nathan Church had two hits apiece for St. Louis, which struck out only twice in the series finale.

“I actually thought we swung the ball really well,” Marmol said. “We took really good swings. It’s one of those games where if we repeat what we did today offensively, I think we’re in a really good spot over 162 (games).”

–Field Level Media

The Cleveland Guardians have won enough to compete for the early lead in the middling American League Central. However, they’ve struggled to win with Tanner Bibee on the mound.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals are amid their most successful stretch of the season — just as veteran Michael Wacha has cooled off from his strong start on the hill.

Bibee again tries for his first winning decision of 2026, while the visiting Guardians look to keep Wacha and the Royals from a fourth straight victory in Monday’s opener of a four-game set.

The Guardians won their season opener with Bibee (0-4, 4.08 ERA) getting the ball, but managed just one run of support while he’s been on the mound in losing his next six starts. Though the right-hander, who has posted double-digit win totals in each of his previous three MLB campaigns, has failed to complete more than six innings in any 2026 start, he’s yielded more than two earned runs only twice this year.

Bibee surrendered a run, four hits and three walks while striking out six over five innings of a 1-0 home loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday — the second consecutive start the Guardians failed to score for him.

“Pitchers are playing a very different sport, inside a sport,” Bibee said. “I feel like for pitchers, especially starting pitchers, you just got to worry about what you’re doing.

“You can’t affect anything else other than what you’re doing on the mound.”

Bibee is 4-0 with a 3.06 ERA in nine career starts against Kansas City, and the Guardians had won six straight outings of his in the series before falling 4-2 at home on April 6. He allowed five hits and a walk through 4 2/3 innings, but just one run.

Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino combined for three hits versus Bibee in that contest. Those two Royals, together, are 17-for-37 against him.

Cleveland won two of three versus Kansas City last month and just took two of three from the Athletics. However, the Royals are 8-3 since dropping eight straight and swept a three-game weekend series at Seattle.

“We don’t want to take that for granted. Just keep working,” Kansas City reliever Daniel Lynch IV told Royals.TV.

Wacha (2-2, 3.13 ERA) is 3-2 with a 2.32 ERA in nine career starts against the Guardians, and yielded a solo homer to Steven Kwan and two other hits over seven innings while opposing Bibee in that April matchup.

Wacha allowed three runs and 13 hits over 27 innings while going 2-0 in his first four 2026 starts. However, the right-hander, who turns 35 in July, has given up 10 runs and 15 hits over 10 1/3 in losing back-to-back outings.

He yielded eight hits, four walks and four runs, including a three-run homer, during Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Athletics.

“You have to keep going and make pitches in the zone, over the plate and get them out that way,” Wacha said. “It’s pitch after pitch that you got to execute and got to command.”

Kwan is 7-for-21 versus Wacha, and a career .310 hitter at Kansas City. His rookie teammate Chase DeLauter went 0-for-2 with a walk against Wacha in April but is 15-for-27 during an eight-game hitting streak.

Pasquantino is batting .188 in 2026, but he’s 5-for-14 in May.

–Field Level Media