Assad is listed as the Cubs' scheduled starting pitcher for Friday's game in San Francisco.
Assad tossed 6.1 scoreless innings of relief Sunday versus the Giants after entering in place of the injured Jameson Taillon (hamstring). With Taillon now on the injured list and Matthew Boyd (knee/shoulder) recently suffering a setback, Assad should have the opportunity to make multiple starts for the Cubs. He's collected a 4.73 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 19:8 K:BB over 32.1 innings covering three starts and six relief appearances in 2026.