Veteran right-hander Javier Assad, 27, is slated to make a rehabilitation start for Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, as he continues his lengthy journey back to the Chicago Cubs after suffering a left oblique injury during spring training in Arizona.

This round of the City Series arrives as the July 31 trade deadline nears. The Cubs are in a position to buy while the White Sox will be looking to sell.

Assad and Taillon, who is scheduled to throw live batting practice in Milwaukee this week before starting his minor-league rehab assignment, are on track to return sometime around mid-August. And the Cubs are exploring trade options to add outside pitching before the deadline Thursday.

Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on July 26, according to the Tribune’s archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service,

Shota Imanaga against the White Sox tonight: 3.0 IP | 12 H | 7 ER | 2 K pic.twitter.com/ew6ewAJssm

The Chicago Cubs need a third reliable starting pitcher, and the Kansas City Royals have the man for the job in last season's Cy Young runner-up, Seth Lugo.

When the Chicago Cubs are good, you can feel it, and this season, the energy is palpable because the Cubs have been one of baseball’s best teams. The atmosphere around Wrigley Field has reached playoff levels as the calendar gets close to August — a sign that good baseball is being played at the Friendly Confines.

Amaya is a gem, but the Cubs are loaded at catcher, with the reliable Carson Kelly locked in as the go-to starter and Reese McGuire as a solid backup. And lest we forget, 21-year-old phenom Moises Ballesteros is waiting in the wings.