Latest news with #MoisésBallesteros
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
NL Central-leading Cubs activate Happ from injured list, option Ballesteros to Iowa
MIAMI (AP) — The Chicago Cubs activated outfielder Ian Happ from the injured list on Tuesday ahead of their game at Miami. The 30-year-old Happ had been sidelined since May 10 because of a left oblique strain. Before his injury, Happ was hitting .269 with three homers and 19 RBI in 39 games. Happ, in his ninth season with the Cubs, is in the lineup batting leadoff and playing left field against the Marlins in the second game of the teams' three-game set. To make room for Happ, the NL Central-leading Cubs optioned catcher Moisés Ballesteros to Triple-A Iowa. Chicago also placed right-handed reliever Porter Hodge on the 15-day injured list because of a left oblique strain and recalled right-handed pitcher Ethan Roberts from Iowa. ___ AP MLB:
New York Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Matt Shaw, likely returning to Cubs, has made the changes they've wanted to see
CHICAGO — When the Cubs sent Matt Shaw down to Triple A in the middle of April, the hope was that it wouldn't be a long stint with Iowa. The Cubs knew it would be hard to address their hole at third base in any other way than internally. Shaw regaining his confidence while making tweaks to his approach and mechanics was, in their belief, their best bet to finding an answer. Advertisement It appears that after making adjustments and once again striking the ball with authority, a return to the big leagues is imminent for Shaw. The 23-year-old infielder was not in the Iowa lineup Sunday, and a call-up during the Cubs' upcoming road trip appears near. 'It's under consideration, for sure,' manager Craig Counsell said after Sunday's 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. 'We'll get together after the game and discuss.' In a season in which the Cubs' youth movement is taking center stage, Shaw making an impact would be fitting. In completing the sweep of the White Sox, Pete Crow-Armstrong continued his emergence into the MVP conversation as he delivered two hits — a triple and double — scored two runs and seemed to be in the middle of much of the offense. The weekend also featured the first big-league hit for 21-year-old Moisés Ballesteros and the first home start and second career win for Cade Horton. Shaw did not look like himself during his brief 18-game stint with the big-league club. He posted a 62 wRC+ and his strikeout rate was 26.5 percent, this after never striking out above 20 percent in the minors. According to Statcast, last season at Triple A, Shaw had an average exit velocity of 89.3 mph and a hard-hit rate of 37.6 percent. During his time with Chicago, those numbers dropped to 82.7 mph and 22.5 percent. In 24 games with Iowa since his demotion, Shaw has a 151 wRC+, six home runs, a .969 OPS and is once again consistently producing hard contact. The Cubs sent Shaw to the minors with the intent that he needed to regain his confidence, but it was also emphasized that he had to make changes to get back to the highest level. Sometimes, unconventional mechanics can work. But the Cubs believed that Shaw's leg kick was causing him issues against the elite stuff he was facing in the bigs. Advertisement According to a team source, it was a little bit of a process to get Shaw fully bought into the change. His leg kick has long been a part of his mechanics. But the Cubs weren't asking him to eliminate the movement. Rather, they believed that a less pronounced leg kick would allow him to be on time more consistently and get back to catching the ball out front and driving it in the air. The quickest way to get back to the big leagues for Shaw was to make the change and have success doing it. The Cubs had seen it not work for him at the highest level and wanted to see the physical adjustment made before calling him back up. First, Shaw had to get comfortable with the change. And that appears to have happened over the weekend. The above shows Shaw on Thursday and Shaw on Friday. The difference in the leg kick is significant, and it's what the Cubs wanted to see. There were encouraging results both games — he homered twice Thursday and Friday — but it was more so that Shaw was comfortable enough to bring this adjustment into a game. Seeing him both make the change and perform has the Cubs trusting that the time is right to bring Shaw back to the club. Entering play Sunday, the Cubs were getting 28 wRC+ and minus-0.6 WAR from the third-base spot since Shaw went to the minors. That type of production is what the Cubs were getting from catcher and center field last summer before things turned with both positions in the second half. But having such weak output from one position, let alone two, can be deeply detrimental to an offense. The Cubs have yet to hit a deep skid, but unless they were getting elite defense from third — which has not been the case — there would be little reason not to call up Shaw unless they felt they were deeply hurting his development. 'We're trying to win games, and we're trying to put the player in a good position to succeed,' Counsell said. 'I don't think there's any certainty in any of that. There's a time when we're hopefully going to be able to say, 'Yeah, it's time to give this a shot again.' (That's not) for us to say, 'Yeah, this is it, he's ready for sure.' He's going to have a challenge again. He's going to be challenged in the big leagues again, like every young player.' With winning paramount and developmental boxes being checked, the time for that challenge appears to have arrived.
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
‘The numbers are ugly': Justin Turner walks off Marlins as he tries to shake early slump
CHICAGO — Tuesday night was supposed to be about youngster Moisés Ballesteros making his MLB debut. The 21-year-old designated hitter and catcher was called up after Ian Happ was placed on the injured list with a left oblique strain. An offense-first player, Ballesteros has mashed in a month-plus at Triple A and earned this promotion. Advertisement The choice to call up Ballesteros was also an indictment of the play of veteran Justin Turner so far this season. Turner, signed by the Cubs late in the offseason to a one-year, $6-million deal after their failed pursuit of Alex Bregman, would have been the logical player to get the bulk of the playing time with Seiya Suzuki shifting to Happ's normal spot in left, opening up the DH role. But Turner entered play on Tuesday with a 35 wRC+ and had yet to deliver an extra-base hit in 70 plate appearances. But for a brief moment Tuesday night, Turner found his best self. Pinch-hitting for Nicky Lopez in the seventh inning of a game the Cubs trailed by two, Turner drew a walk. Two innings later, now trailing 4-3, Turner came up with runners on the corners and delivered a game-winning, two-run double as the Cubs walked off the Miami Marlins for a 5-4 victory. 'I'm happy for him,' manager Craig Counsell said. 'It's a big moment, it's at home, it's a big hit. He's done it so many times. And it's not fun watching a great player struggle. But he got a moment, and he did it.' The hit had to feel like a tremendous relief for Turner. The 40-year-old is in his 17th big-league season and has had his fair share of ups and downs. Despite the results not coming, he had believed he was close to turning a corner. 'Felt close for a while now,' Turner said. 'Just haven't really clicked. Feel like the at-bats have been competitive. Just not finishing with good results. At-bats are going a lot longer than they should because I should be moving pitches forward that I'm fouling off right now. It felt good to move one forward and be a big part of that W tonight.' SING THE SONG, @ofcwrigleyfield! — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 14, 2025 Turner's last start, Sunday afternoon in New York, is a perfect example of him missing his pitch. He fouled off three pitches, all fastballs, in the heart of the zone. Those are normally the pitches a veteran hitter like Turner should be driving. The same thing happened in his first plate appearance on Tuesday night as he pulled a hittable pitch foul. Entering the day, of hitters who have seen at least 200 pitches this season, Turner has the fifth-highest percentage (12.2 percent) of pitches seen in the 'heart' of the zone that have been fouled off. Advertisement 'This is something that's maybe just a little mechanically off,' Turner said. 'I feel like the overall body of the at-bat is fine. They're just not ending when they should. Meaning I'm fouling off the pitches I should be moving forward. Been grinding on it, trying to get it cleaned up and I feel like I'm getting close. Just gotta keep going out, showing up every day working and get better results.' Turner said his timing hasn't felt right and that his setup isn't what it should be. He also admitted he'd been moving too fast, likely because he's trying to do too much to get the results he's lacking. 'I think it's human nature when you're not getting results to try harder and harder,' Turner said. 'In this game, it's like quicksand. The harder you try, the deeper hole you get in. Obviously, the numbers are ugly. But they're not going to get fixed in one at-bat. You gotta back off a little bit, stay in the process and try to simplify things.' It would be easy to point to Turner being 40 and age finally catching up to him. Perhaps that's the case. But merely suggesting his bat has slowed doesn't account for everything. According to the Statcast data, Turner's bat speed is in the bottom one percentile in baseball. But that's no different than last season when he posted a 117 wRC+ or much worse than 2023 when he was at 115. Last May, Turner posted a 7 wRC+ in 82 plate appearances. The next month, he posted a 169 wRC+. He knows things can turn quickly in this game. But he also understands this isn't a point in his career where playing time is guaranteed. On a team that has multiple options, he has to produce. 'The mindset is that every time you get an opportunity, you try to earn the trust and earn more at-bats from the manager,' Turner said. 'That's the way it's gotta be.' Turner was able to do that on Tuesday. Prior to the win, Turner was taking early batting practice, something he's been doing regularly to try and find his best self. Advertisement 'It's baseball,' Turner said. 'It doesn't matter how good or bad you're feeling, you gotta show up and work every day. If you take anything for granted, this game will punish you. Obviously, (I've) been going through it. I'm not going to make any excuses, I gotta be better. But at the same time, just gotta show up and put the work in every day.' His teammates have watched how hard he's been working. It hasn't gone unnoticed that despite his struggles, he comes to the ballpark with a smile, eager to impact the group in any way he can. 'He's probably one of the best teammates I've had in my life,' starter Ben Brown said. 'We're so thankful for every single thing he does for us as a team off the field. Then you also realize that JT is a very, very good baseball player today and has done some very amazing things in his career. He's seen so many big moments, small moments, hard times.' It's just one good game for Turner. Even after an 0-for-4 showing in his debut, nobody will be surprised if Ballesteros is in the lineup on Wednesday and Turner is on the bench. Despite largely being an everyday player in the recent past, this isn't a new role for Turner. He fought for at-bats for much of the early part of his career and had to prove himself by producing. He's prepared to do it again. 'I know how it goes,' Turner said. 'You can't use not getting everyday at-bats as an excuse. You still gotta go out there and put together good at-bats, and you gotta get results. That's the bottom line and the name of the game. We're out here trying to win a division and make a deep run in October. At the end of the day, you gotta produce.'
Washington Post
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Surprise! Moisés Ballesteros' parents travel from Venezuela and see son make his MLB debut
CHICAGO — The parents of Moisés Ballesteros traveled from Venezuela thinking they were going to see their son play for the Chicago Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. Instead, the 21-year-old catcher was called up by the Cubs after Ian Happ was put on the 10-day injured list, and the Ballesteros' family was able to attend Moisés' MLB debut on Tuesday night.
Associated Press
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Surprise! Moisés Ballesteros' parents travel from Venezuela and see son make his MLB debut
CHICAGO (AP) — The parents of Moisés Ballesteros traveled from Venezuela thinking they were going to see their son play for the Chicago Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. Instead, the 21-year-old catcher was called up by the Cubs after Ian Happ was put on the 10-day injured list, and the Ballesteros' family was able to attend Moisés' MLB debut on Tuesday night. While Ballesteros had a lackluster 0-for-4 outing in his first big league game, Chicago did manage to pull out a 5-4, walk-off victory over the Miami Marlins. After the game, Ballesteros said he was anxious and that his nerves got the better of him, but that he was trying to 'give it his best' every time he was at the plate with his family making their first trip to the U.S. 'My parents had never watched me play in person as a professional,' Ballesteros said. 'To have them be here at my first professional game, I was trying to just make them proud and go out there and give it my best. We're going to move on to tomorrow, but it was really special.' Ballesteros earned the start as a designated hitter. In his final at-bat, with runners on first and second in the ninth inning, Ballesteros grounded into a fielder's choice and beat out the throw to reach base safely. The play also advanced Carson Kelly to third base, a crucial part of the Cubs' three-run ninth comeback. Per MLB Pipeline, Ballesteros was the Cubs' No. 4 prospect and the No. 8 catching prospect in the minors. Ballesteros' first major league game was an exciting one, he said, and he reiterated how great it felt that his team was able to come together for the win. While he is still looking for his first big league hit, he did get his first MLB game out of the way. Now, Ballesteros will focus his opportunities moving forward. ___ AP MLB:
