It was a big week for the Cubs as they welcomed back both Justin Steele and Cody Bellinger from the IL while Seiya Suzuki is not far behind.

Our panel of Andy Martínez and Tony Andracki analyze what Bellinger's return means for the Cubs lineup, how the team's rotation has been performing lately - particularly Shota Imanaga - and what to make of the bullpen.

Plus, Doug Glanville stops by the podcast to provide his takeaways from the first 6 weeks of the Cubs season. He also shared stories about his experiences with Craig Counsell during their playing days and how an unconventional bit of advice helped Ryan Dempster in his career and might be able to translate to helping Adbert Alzolay now.

The Cubs had the most wins in an April since 2016 while dealing with plenty of adversity. The team has put up a successful month despite everything and the Cubs Weekly Podcast breaks it all down.

As the calendar turns to May, the Cubs face offensive and defensive struggles, seven players on the injured list but continue to churn out wins. Andy Martínez and Cliff Floyd discuss the effect manager Craig Counsell has had in leading the Cubs to success amidst all that. The pair discuss the way Counsell is breaking in some of the young players on their roster and how that will benefit the organization in the long-term.

Floyd discusses what makes Cubs starter Shota Imanaga so tough to face and what allows him to have success. The former big leaguer also shares why he’s been impressed with Javier Assad and what makes him such a force in the Cubs’ pitching staff.

The injuries just keep coming for the Cubs. Cody Bellinger, Kyle Hendricks and Drew Smyly are all on the IL now and young players like Alexander Canario, Matt Mervis and Pete Crow-Armstrong will have to step up for the team.

Yet, the Cubs just keep right on winning. Andy Martínez and Tony Andracki analyze the aftermath of the Cubs' recent string of injuries and what comes next for the team.

Plus, former Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler stops by to chat about what he's seen from Hendricks during the early-season struggles and how players inside an MLB clubhouse react and deal with injuries to key players. Fowler also reminisces on 2016 memories, including how that team bonded as a group and why they were able to carry that chemistry onto the field.

The Cubs wrapped up a tough - but successful - road trip in which they went 5-4 against a trio of playoff contenders.

Joe Girardi joins Andy Martínez and Tony Andracki to dissect the road trip and how it can be a galvanizing stretch for a group that has been ravaged by injuries lately.

What comes next for the Cubs with Seiya Suzuki expected to miss a month? What has been the key behind Christopher Morel's turnaround defensively? Our panel analyze these topics and more, including Kyle Hendricks' early season struggles and why Héctor Neris is so important to this ballclub.

Ryan Sweeney joins the Cubs Weekly Podcast to chat with Andy Martínez and Tony Andracki about the team's tough loss in San Diego on Monday and how the group turns the page after such a game.

The panel also chats about encouraging signs from the first couple weeks of the season, including Craig Counsell's impact, Ben Brown's first few outings and Michael Busch's emergence in the lineup.

Plus, the ripple effects from Julian Merryweather's injury and how the Cubs manage their bullpen over the next couple months.

The first week of the 2024 Cubs season is in the books and we've seen the Craig Counsell effect already. Our panel of Andy Martínez and Tony Andracki explain how the new skipper is impacting the team early in the schedule and also analyze the ripple effects of the Justin Steele injury.

Plus, the plan for Ben Brown, the Christopher Morel Experience at third base and Nick Madrigal proving his worth in the early going.

Martínez and Andracki also explain why the lineup and rotation have impressed so far while also previewing the big weekend series with the Dodgers in town that will draw attention from around the world.

The 2024 MLB season is upon us and it's time for our annual prediction podcast. Andy Martínez and Tony Andracki analyze Cubs camp in Arizona and how the Opening Day roster shook out after a bunch of injuries and position battles.

Martínez and Andracki also provide their season predictions for a number of categories, including:

-Under-the-radar players to keep an eye on this season

-What will be the biggest surprise of the year?

-2024 Cubs breakout player

-2024 Cubs MVP

-2024 Cubs Cy Young

-What series on the 2024 Cubs schedule are you circling?

-What minor leaguer that has not yet made their MLB debut will have the biggest impact in 2024?

-Bold prediction for the 2024 Cubs season

-Bold prediction for the 2024 MLB season

-How many wins will the Cubs finish with?

Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly stopped by the Cubs Weekly Podcast in Mesa, Ariz. to chat with hosts Elise Menaker and Andy Martínez. Kelly shared how he doesn’t follow Spring Training numbers too closely, focusing on the process rather than the results. He then talks about Seiya Suzuki and how the right fielder can carry over his success from last season and spring into the regular season.

Kelly was reunited with Cody Bellinger and shared how he found out about his return to the team and what excites him about working with him again. The second year hitting coach provides more insight on Michael Busch, who he worked with in 2020 at the Dodgers’ alternate site during the COVID season. Later in the podcast, Kelly breaks down some swing adjustments for Canario, a fun Patrick Wisdom anecdote and what it’s like working with new manager Craig Counsell.

Menaker and Martínez assess Spring Training as the Cubs’ time in Arizona nears an end, including their impressions of Counsell and what the rotation could look like to start the season.