The Chicago Cubs are headed into the Game 2 of their National League Divisional Series against their hated rival Milwaukee Brewers coming off a dominating loss in Game 1.

With Matthew Boyd on the hill, the Cubs struggled early and could not contain the Brewers lineup. The good news is that star ace Shota Imanaga will get the ball in Game 2, however the bad news there is that Imanaga has not looked like himself lately.

One analyst, however, thinks he has pinpointed why Imanaga has been struggling for Chicago and shared why during an appearance on 670 The Score as team radio color commentator Ron Coomer discussed the split-finger fastball for the left-hander and how it has been off.

“The issues that I believe he is having are with his split finger,” Coomer said. “When he throws his split right now, he throws some good ones…right now for some reason he’s not able to get it to go down, it’s going sideways on him. I don’t know if that’s an issue from the leg and driving off the rubber, if he’s a little tired, I don’t have that answer at all. I just know what I’m seeing and I’m seeing his split go sideways.”

Whether or not Imanaga’s splitter is back and working on Monday night remains to be seen, but Coomer makes a strong case that it could go a long way towards determining whether or not Chicago has a real chance to win.

Imanaga Has Struggled Significantly Lately for Cubs

Sep 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) throws in the outfield before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The left-hander was not horrible in the Wild Card round against the San Diego Padres, but he lasted just four innings after Andrew Kittredge opened for the first inning and would give up three hits and two earned runs.

The month of September was not kind to him though, posting a 6.51 ERA and 1.23 WHIP over the course of five starts. This was directly coming off one of the best individual months of his career too, posting a 2.65 ERA and blazing 0.68 WHIP over five starts in August.

The reason for Imanaga losing his splitter effectiveness down the stretch may not be known, but at least knowing that may be the reason could help Chicago get him back to his top gear and ultimately give the Cubs the best possible chance to win.

Imanaga’s splitter and which direction it’s going is worth monitoring early on Monday night, because if it doesn’t look right, it could be another long game for Chicago.

If it is on and doing what it’s supposed to do however, the Cubs are going to have a tremendous chance to even up the series.

The Latest Chicago Cubs News