Manager Craig Counsell said that Gausman is in line to make his first start with the Cubs this weekend in Kansas City, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
The Cubs will at least temporarily move Colin Rea to the bullpen to clear room in the rotation for Gausman and Clay Holmes (fibula), who were both acquired within the final two days leading up to Monday's trade deadline. Based on the Cubs' current alignment, Gausman appears likely to start Friday's series opener, while Holmes is expected to get the ball Saturday. Gausman went 5-10 and pitched to a 4.38 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 127.1 innings in 23 starts with Toronto this season, but most of his underlying metrics (3.85 SIERA, 3.95 xERA, 3.51 FIP) paint a rosier picture of his performance.