Matt Shaw explains absence from Cubs' lineup

CHICAGO -- Matt Shaw rejoined the Cubs on Tuesday after being given permission by the team to attend the memorial service for the late Charlie Kirk in Arizona. The rookie third baseman was at his locker prior to the opener of Chicago’s final homestand to offer clarity over his request to miss Sunday’s game in Cincinnati.

Shaw explained that he met Kirk last offseason in Arizona, where they lived in the same apartment complex. They struck up a friendship that centered around their religious faith and Kirk’s Cubs fandom. Kirk often would text Shaw after Cubs games. Kirk’s wife, Erika, reached out to Shaw and invited him to attend the service in Arizona.

“I was very thankful for how the team responded,” Shaw said. “Allowing me to do that was really special of them. [President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and manager Craig Counsell] and all the veteran players that I talked to and, really, the whole team, having their support was really important to me.”

Shaw initially met with Counsell, and then the rookie said he consulted four or five teammates for their input and advice. The decision to allow Shaw to attend the service was up to the team’s discretion, as the situation did not fall under the criteria of Major League Baseball’s bereavement list.

Counsell and the Cubs’ front office granted Shaw permission to miss the final game of the recent road trip, and the 23-year-old infielder then looped in more teammates.

“I had turmoil [over] what I should do,” Shaw said. “I made sure that everybody I talked to, I had their support. That they knew why I was going -- that I wasn't leaving just to leave, that it was something that was really important to my faith. Again, it was really nice to see how everybody was able to support me in that moment.”

Shaw also confirmed that the “personal reasons” that led to him being scratched from the lineup on Sept. 10 in Atlanta were due to Kirk’s death. A conservative podcaster and the founder of Turning Point USA, Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event in Utah that day.

“When that happened, a lot of emotions came over me,” Shaw said. “I don’t know how to describe everything that happened and how I was feeling. But I will say I was tearing up pretty good and I had a lot of guys come in on this team that were supporting me. And that will be something I remember for my entire life, is how everyone responded to what I was going through.”

Shaw said he was not worried about any backlash over his decision to attend the memorial.

“I’m not concerned at all, no. My connection with Charlie was through our faith,” Shaw said. “That’s something that drives me every day. It’s the reason why I’m able to do what I do every day, and it’s something I’m extremely thankful for. I know without my faith and without the many blessings I’ve been given in my life, that I wouldn’t be here able to talk to you guys, able to help this team eventually go and win championships.”