The Chicago Cubs will be without veteran Ian Happ for at least 10 days, as the versatile outfielder/infielder is set to hit the injured list with an oblique strain. Happ had already missed the team’s last three games due to the issue.
In response, the Cubs are calling up highly regarded prospect Moisés Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa. The 21-year-old is expected to be available for his MLB debut Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins in the second game of a three-game set at Wrigley Field.
The news was reported Monday night by Bruce Levine of The 670 Score, who noted that Ballesteros could even be in the starting lineup.
Ballesteros has experience at both catcher and first base in the minors, but given the Cubs’ current roster makeup, he may debut as a designated hitter. Carson Kelly has been outstanding behind the plate with a 1.114 OPS, and Michael Busch has been solid at first base lately, though he went hitless in Monday’s win over Miami.
The DH spot appears to be the most likely fit. The Cubs have struggled to find consistency there this season, ranking just 16th in MLB in DH production (100 wRC+). Justin Turner is hitting only .155, while Seiya Suzuki, the most frequent DH, has a respectable .245/.306/.510 slash line.
Regardless of where Ballesteros plays, all eyes will be on the young Venezuelan slugger. He’s been on fire in Triple-A, hitting .368/.420/.522 with 4 homers and 18 RBIs in 34 games. Across his minor league career, he’s slashed .288/.371/.459 with 50 home runs and 218 RBIs.
The Cubs will be hoping Ballesteros can help fill the void left by Happ, who was hitting .269/.364/.381 with 3 homers and 19 RBIs before the injury.
