Despite a recent skid, the Chicago Cubs have been one of the best teams in Baseball this season. Their 24-18 record leads the National League Central by a thin margin, however, life should be getting easier in Chicago. After facing a gauntlet of contending teams early in the season, Chicago has now entered its “easy” portion of the season.
Still, they are not immune to slumps, regression, or injuries. Unfortunately, the injury bug has bitten Chicago hard this year. The Cubs have lost starting pitcher Justin Steele for the season, and currently have their best pitcher, Shota Imanaga, on the injured list as well.
A new injury required some roster manipulation
Another name that needs to be added to the laundry list of injuries facing the Cubs is Ian Happ. After a rough series in New York, Happ has sat out the past few games nursing an oblique injury. While it wasn’t initially seen as serious, his absence is precarious given his Iron Man status.
But as a result of his injury, the Cubs have called upon reinforcements from their loaded farm system.
MLB’s Bruce Levine took to his X account to announce the promotion for one of Chicago’s Top prospects.
“Breaking News – The Cubs will call up C/ DH Moises Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa. He will likely be in the starting lineup tomorrow. Ian Happ to go on IL with oblique issue.”
It’s hard not be be excited about the 21-year-old. Despite being young relative to the average age of Triple-A, Ballesteros has slashed .368/.420/.522 for a .942 OPS this season. The Cubs’ fourth-ranked prospect was recently ranked the 61st best prospect in Baseball.
Mo Baller, as he affectionately referred to by Cubs fans, went viral this season for his impressive 19-game hitting streak. While the calls for his promotion were mostly silenced by the success of Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly, the Cubs may now be desperate.
A man without a position?
His bat is elite, and has been for the majority of his professional career. The question surrounding the Venezuelan native is if he will stick anywhere defensively. While catcher is his primary position, he has struggled to play serviceable defense. This could be partially excused by his age, but whether or not he can stick behind the dish will be a huge indicator of his future projection.
As for roster construction, he was not previously on the Cubs’ 40-Man roster, meaning another move needs to be made. I would predict that the Cubs will waive the White Flag on the Justin Turner experiment and cut ties with the former Dodger.
While Happ’s trip to the injured list is unpleasant, it does provide the Cubs a good opportunity to see what they have in Ballesteros. If all goes well, he could force himself onto the roster late in the year as the Cubs make their push for the postseason.
Ballesteros has been a popular name regarding trade rumors with Chicago. But for now, Chicago will reap the benefits of his fantastic offensive output.
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