Cubs' upcoming homestand offers little relief in a grueling April schedule

The battle wages on. After dropping both games of the Tokyo Series last month, the Chicago Cubs were handed an equally undesirable task: play the toughest month any team will face this year to open the 2025 season.

So far, they've held their own, going 12-9 (12-7 post-Tokyo) - good for first place in a weak National League Central entering Thursday's off-day. Pete Crow-Armstrong is heating up at the plate and Kyle Tucker continues to produce like a legitimate NL MVP candidate. That's not to mention Shota Imanaga (2.22 ERA) and Matthew Boyd (2.01 ERA) fronting the rotation and helping keep the ship afloat as the Cubs plot a course forward without ace left-hander Justin Steele.

But the work is not done. Chicago returns home for an eight-game homestand, including a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a two-game weekday stint against the Dodgers, closing out their regular-season matchups with the reigning World Series champs before the calendar even hits May, and then three against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Cubs face Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Phillies in upcoming homestand

They'll get their first look at former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes in Friday afternoon's series opener against Arizona at Wrigley Field. Then, they get Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly in the final two games of the set before a day off on Monday. The one perk of the next two weeks is the number of off-days the team has: including Thursday's, the Cubs have four scheduled off-days between now and May 1, which should reduce the pressure on a shorthanded starting rotation.

Chicago opened its 2025 domestic schedule with a four-game set against Arizona, splitting the series in Phoenix. So far against Los Angeles, the Cubs are 2-3 with two of those losses coming in Japan, followed by somewhat surprisingly taking two of three from the Dodgers last week at Dodger Stadium.

With the West Coast matchups in the rearview mirror, things don't exactly get any easier with three against a Phillies team itching for a pennant after disappointing in October time and time again in recent years. A loaded pitching staff and potent offense will be one final test for Craig Counsell's club before closing out this month and opening a new one on the road in Pittsburgh.

The good news? The Cubs' May is the easiest month for any team this year - so hopefully they can keep it rolling in the back half of April and head into the summer with some momentum.