(Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

After ending a four-year playoff drought last season, the Chicago Cubs enter 2026 with added expectations.

In manager Craig Counsell's mind, that also should increase the clubhouse's penchant for staying in the moment.

'It's not easy to get to a place like this. It's not easy to get to a roster like this. It's not easy to get yourself on a roster like this,' Counsell said. 'That's fun; it makes you accountable, it makes you responsible, and then you realize that every day is going to be a lot of fun.'

Thursday afternoon will mark the beginning of the journey as the Cubs host the Washington Nationals on Opening Day, albeit with less than a full lineup.

Third baseman Alex Bregman, the club's prized offseason acquisition, projects to be in the mix alongside stalwarts who include outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ and infielders Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner.

Right fielder Seiya Suzuki, however, will open the season on the 10-day injured list with a strained ligament in his right knee.

'I was worried in the beginning,' Suzuki said through an interpreter. 'But day to day, the pain's gone down and it's been feeling better each day. Obviously, you don't want to rush it, but I want to make sure it heals and then come back to the team.'

Thursday will start the Blake Butera Era in Washington. The youngest manager in the major leagues at 33, Butera took the reins in November after the organization fired longtime skipper Dave Martinez in July. Miguel Cairo was the Nationals' interim manager.

Tasked with revamping a club that has slumped to six straight losing seasons since the Nationals won the 2019 World Series, Butera fashions Washington as an aggressive group that wants to build around versatility.

To that effect, Butera often slotted All-Star left fielder James Wood in right field during spring training. Butera also lauded the recent acquisition of Jorbit Vivas from the New York Yankees, as Vivas can play multiple infield positions.

'Whatever you can do to set players up and put them in a position to have success,' Butera said. 'When they are able to play multiple positions or hit in different parts of the lineup, it provides them more opportunities to make sure that the situations that we want to put them in can happen more frequently.'

Washington is set to start right-hander Cade Cavalli on Thursday. Frequently injured after making his major league debut in August 2022, Cavalli returned to health down the stretch last season, finishing 3-1 with a 4.25 ERA in 10 starts.

'Obviously, there's going to be different emotions to it,' Cavalli said of his first Opening Day assignment. 'Natural things that'll creep into the head. A lot of excitement. And, you know, work-wise, it's very easy to go about it: Keep your routines, try not to do anything more. So that's exactly what I'm going to try to do and battle the natural thoughts.'

Cavalli has never faced the Cubs.

Chicago will counter with left-hander Matthew Boyd (14-8, 3.21 ERA in 2025). Boyd, who made Opening Day starts for the Detroit Tigers in 2020 and 2021, is 1-2 with a 3.15 ERA in three career starts against the Nationals. He pitched to a 2.51 ERA vs. Washington last season in two starts covering 14 1/3 innings but lost both games.

--Field Level Media