Cubs' Craig Counsell Makes Unexpected Decision Before Yankees Game

Cubs' Craig Counsell Makes Unexpected Decision Before Yankees Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Left fielder Ian Happ is in his ninth major-league season as a member of the Chicago Cubs. The 30-year-old was selected by the Cubs in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft and made his big-league debut in 2017.

Since then, he’s established himself as a reliable outfield bat with the positional versatility to play second base when needed.

Over his nine-year career, Happ has made one All-Star appearance and collected three Gold Glove Awards. He owns a lifetime .785 OPS and has been especially durable over the last three seasons, appearing in at least 150 games each year.

In 2025, however, Happ has experienced some regression. Although he remains on pace for a third consecutive 20-home run season, his overall offensive numbers have dipped.

Before Saturday’s game against the New York Yankees, manager Craig Counsell announced a lineup change, swapping Happ and Nico Hoerner in the batting order and dropping Happ to seventh—the lowest spot he’s held all season.

He explained, “I talked to Ian, and we’re going to make a change at the leadoff spot against lefties. For now, Nico will lead off. He’s been productive against left-handed pitching. It’s as simple as that,” Counsell explained.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell: “I talked to Ian (Happ) and we’re going to make a change at the leadoff spot against lefties. For now, Nico (Hoerner) will lead off. He’s been productive against left-handed pitching. It’s as simple as that.”

— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) July 12, 2025

Through 84 games this year, Happ has hit 12 home runs and driven in 45 runs, but he’s batting just .224 with a .696 OPS.

Chicago sits at 55-39 in a tight National League Central race, holding only a one-game lead over the second-place Milwaukee Brewers. With the All-Star break approaching, every game has become pivotal and Happ will look to be more of a contributor down the stretch for the Cubs.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.