Cubs' biggest offense in loss to Giants was the injustice of Javier Assad

Disaster once again struck for the Chicago Cubs over the weekend, considering the team not only dropped two of three games against the lowly San Francisco Giants, but are now dealing with another injury in their starting rotation. Jameson Taillon was pulled from Sunday's start with a hamstring strain, and Craig Counsell has already confirmed the veteran starting pitcher is headed to the IL.

Over the weekend, the Cubs recalled Javier Assad from Triple-A Iowa, and then idea was that he would be an emergency arm for the bullpen. That has often been the situation where Assad thrives, and he did so again on Sunday night.

Replacing Taillon in the second inning, Assad allowed only one hit in a tick over six innings of work while striking out five. For a Cubs' bullpen that has been taxed Friday and Saturday, Assad looking as masterful as he did on Sunday was a silver lining for the Cubs.

The problem on Sunday night is the one that has been present since the middle of May. The Cubs' offense was once again dormant. The Cubs' offense went 1-10 with runners in scoring position, and only had one extra-base hit. As a team, the Cubs also struck out 10 times.

Jed Hoyer shouldn't ignore reality of 2026 Cubs' season

It speaks to a larger issue developing with the Cubs that extends beyond Craig Counsell. There's only so many different levers that Counsell can pull. He's tried resets for Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson, and Seiya Suzuki. Nothing appears to be working. And, it speaks to the overall point of the Cubs' recent struggles, if the position players on the roster don't break out of their collective slumps, that will be all for the Cubs' 2026 season.

At the moment, it's clear why Jed Hoyer is putting the onus on those position players. Given how the Cubs' farm system currently is constructed, and the contract statuses of most of the players, the Cubs simply need the veterans on their roster to live up their career expectations.

The problem with that desire is that it ignores the offensive regression that started for Swanson since he arrived in Chicago, and the same that appears to be starting for Alex Bregman. Sure, Pete Crow-Armstrong is once again peforming like a superstar, but as last year proved, he can't be the only piece of the Cubs' lineup finding success.

Sunday was another warning shot for Hoyer and the Cubs' direction moving forward. There were clear misevaluations that happens when constructing this roster, and the result may be the Cubs becoming sellers at the deadline.

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