Well, this almost seemed inevitable after Matt Shaw was pulled from his scheduled ninth-inning at bat against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. The right-handed hitter is dealing with wrist soreness, and unfortunately, it is not minor. Not that you want the Cubs playing with one man down, but fans were hoping that maybe a day or two more off would be enough to give Shaw time to recover. That’s not the case, though, as the Cubs placed the 24-year-old on the injured list prior to Monday’s series opener against the San Diego Padres.
Shaw has been fantastic in his role as the second right fielder for the Cubs this season, crushing left-handed pitching to the tune of an .845 OPS this year, and he’s been solid in his last 14 games, recording a 143 wRC+ in 43 plate appearances since coming back from back tightness three weeks ago.
Outfield prospect Kevin Alcántara is back with the Cubs. He was called up in May, when Shaw first went on the injured list. Fans were left wanting a lot more, as Alcántara only received 10 total plate appearances in about two weeks of action in the big leagues.
Luckily, Alcántara did not miss a beat: since he was sent back to Triple-A, the right-handed-hitting outfielder has posted a slash line of .356/.441/.576 with two home runs in 68 plate appearances. However, Alcántara will most likely be used the same as his first call-up, and that’s only getting starts against left-handed pitching, while Michael Conforto fills in against righties.
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It will be much less annoying this time around because guys like Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are producing at the plate, unlike the terrible slump that almost the entire team was going through when Alcántara was up earlier this season.
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Well, it was bad enough that Craig Counsell pinch-hit Justin Dean for Matt Shaw in the ninth inning of Sunday’s series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. Chicago Cubs fans were flabbergasted over the switch, but you just had to know there was something physically wrong with Shaw for him to get lifted.
After the Cubs won 4-3, Counsell did reveal that Shaw was dealing with a wrist issue. It was officially classified as wrist soreness, and that’s certainly something that you don’t love to hear.
Shaw was placed on the injured list in May because of back tightness. The infielder, now a right fielder, missed nearly three weeks of action as he recovered and then was sent out on a rehab assignment at Triple-A. Since his return, Shaw has been good again at the plate, posting a slash line of .257/.395/.457, with a home run, two triples, eight RBI, and a stolen base.
He didn’t start on Sunday, coming in off the bench and walking on seven pitches in the seventh inning. Shaw only took one swing in that plate appearance, which was a foul ball. It’s noteworthy because that one hack had a swing speed of 66mph, which is more than 5mph slower than Shaw’s season-average swing speed in 2026.
Shaw had his struggles in May, leading up to his first stint on the injured list, but overall, he’s been a valuable bench player for the Cubs so far this season. He’s also improved defensively in right field, giving the Cubs the opportunity to move Seiya Suzuki to the designated hitter spot when needed. After a great second half to end the 2025 season, Shaw has recorded a 107 wRC+ in 147 plate appearances this year. He’s been especially great facing left-handed pitching, slashing .279/.353/.492 with two home runs, five doubles, and a triple in 68 plate appearances.
When Shaw’s in the starting lineup against left-handed pitchers, the Cubs are much deeper one through nine. It would be another blow to the team if Shaw has to miss time on the injured list again, and it is more concerning when you’re talking about a wrist issue for a hitter. Hopefully, it is a minor issue, and Shaw won’t be forced to miss much more action.
