The hours before the Cubs opened a three-game series against the division-rival Pirates weren’t all gloom and rain for the team. A couple pregame updates presented a sunny outlook for the team’s outfield group.
Right fielder Seiya Suzuki was back in the lineup Tuesday, after a mystery ailment kept him sidelined for two days. Center fielder Cody Bellinger (bruised left knee) began his rehab assignment in Triple-A Iowa. And with Bellinger starting at first base, it appeared Mike Tauchman had played himself into a longer-term role with the big-league team.
