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The Chicago Cubs home opener kicked off Tuesday, a bit earlier than usual -- and thousands of miles away from the Friendly Confines.
The Chicago Cubs vs. reigning World Series champs Los Angeles Dodgers kicked off their 2025 regular season at 5:10 a.m. Tuesday from Tokyo. Both teams are also buoyed by stars that hail from Japan, giving Major League Baseball a marquee matchup to showcase in Tokyo.
As of 6:35 a.m. Chicago time, the Dodgers were leading the Cubs 3-1 in the top of the 5th. Though the sun hadn't risen yet, more than a dozen fans turned out to watch the game from Harry Caray's in Rosemont.
Here's how to watch the game and more.
Where to watch Cubs vs. Dodgers
The two teams will battle on both Tuesday and Wednesday in Japan, with first pitch scheduled for 5:10 a.m. Central time for both games.
Both games will count as home games for the Cubs, according to Major League Baseball.
According to MLB, both games will be televised nationally. The Tuesday game, the opener for both teams, will air on Fox, while the Wednesday game will air on FS1.
For fans in the Chicago area, the games will be available on the Cubs’ flagship station, airing on Marquee Sports Network.
Finally, both games will be available on the team’s radio home of 670 the Score.
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Who is pitching in the series?
Both the Cubs and Dodgers have superstar Japanese pitchers on their rosters, and they will be showcased in the opening game Tuesday, as Shota Imanaga will toe the rubber for the Cubs and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will pitch for the Dodgers.
Wednesday’s game will feature Roki Sasaki making his MLB debut in his home country, while Justin Steele will take the ball for the Cubs.
Cubs Opening Day Roster
Here is a look at the Cubs 2025 Tokyo Series Opening Day roster:
Pitchers (13)
- 18 – Shota Imanaga, LHP
24 – Caleb Thielbar, LHP
32 – Ben Brown, RHP
33 – Eli Morgan, RHP
35 – Justin Steele, LHP
36 – Jordan Wicks, LHP
37 – Porter Hodge, RHP
49 – Tyson Miller, RHP
50 – Jameson Taillon, RHP
53 – Colin Rea, RHP
54 – Ryan Brasier, RHP
55 – Ryan Pressly, RHP
56 – Nate Pearson, RHP
66 – Julian Merryweather, RHP
Catchers (2)
- 9 – Miguel Amaya
- 15 – Carson Kelly
Infielders (7)
- 3 – Justin Turner
- 5 – Jon Berti
- 6 – Matt Shaw
- 7 – Dansby Swanson
- 17 – Vidal Bruján (S)
- 25 – Gage Workman (L)
- 29 – Michael Busch (L)
Outfielders (4)
- 4 – Pete Crow-Armstrong (L)
- 8 – Ian Happ (S)
- 27 – Seiya Suzuki 30 – Kyle Tucker (L)
What should Cubs fans watch for?
Dodgers star Mookie Betts will not be playing in the series after dealing with an illness that sidelined him for several days. According to manager Dave Roberts, Betts has lost 15 pounds because of the illness, and still needs to regain his health before he can play.
On the Cubs side of things, Nico Hoerner will not be playing in the series as he continues to work back from an injury at the team’s spring training complex in Arizona.
The Cubs could have multiple players make their debuts with the team this week, including highly heralded prospect Matt Shaw, who could start at third base for the North Siders.
Gage Workman, whom the Cubs acquired in the Rule 5 Draft, is also on the team’s 31-man roster for the Tokyo series, and could participate.
