The Chicago Cubs are recalling infielder Matt Shaw from Triple-A Iowa, according to the New York Post. This will mark his second stint in the majors this season, as he opened the season on the big-league roster before being demoted in mid-April following uninspired play.
The Cubs have not yet announced the move, nor have they executed a corresponding move, but they are reportedly trying to trade veteran utility infielder Nicky Lopez, who did not travel with the rest of the Cubs roster ahead of their series against the Miami Marlins. In all likelihood, then, Lopez will wind up being designated for assignment if Chicago can not find a trading partner.
Shaw, 23, batted just .172/.294/.241 (55 OPS+) with eight more strikeouts than walks across 18 games. He’s fared better since returning to Triple-A, hitting .286/.409/.560 with six home runs and six more walks than strikeouts in 24 games. Despite that rough start, he’s still among the top contenders for NL Rookie of the Year (+3000, per FanDuel).
The Cubs have, as of late, been using a timeshare at third base involving Lopez, Jon Berti, and Vidal Bruján. Shaw figures to now assume the majority of reps there.
Back in the spring, CBS Sports ranked Shaw as the 28th-best prospect in the minors. Here’s what we wrote at the time:
Shaw could find himself on the Opening Day roster after a 35-game stint in Triple-A that saw him produce a .929 OPS. (Later, during the Premier12 tournament, he matched Ken Griffey Jr.’s Team USA single-game record by driving in seven runs.) Shaw routinely makes hard contact, even possessing enough power to drive out more than a handful of balls the other way. That feel for the barrel helps obscure that he has an appetite for elevated fastballs that can get him into some trouble. Shaw has auditioned at several infield positions; he’s certainly probably going to end up at second or third base, with the latter serving as the current favorite given Isaac Paredes‘ inclusion in the Kyle Tucker trade.
The Cubs enter Monday with a 28-19 record, good for first place in the National League Central.
