CHICAGO -- The Cubs made a notable roster move ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Astros, calling up infield prospect Pedro Ramírez from Triple-A Iowa while placing infielder Matt Shaw on the 10-day injured list with back tightness.
Manager Craig Counsell said Shaw’s back issue first surfaced earlier this week and continued to fluctuate over the past few days before the Cubs decided an IL stint was necessary.
“Tuesday during the day it came up,” Counsell said. “Then it kind of went back and forth -- like it’s kind of improving or getting worse the last couple days. Woke up today again and didn’t feel good today again. We’ve been kind of testing it, seeing if he’s able to play. We’ve got to get out of that phase of testing it and give him some time.”
The move opens the door for Ramírez, the Cubs’ No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 85 overall prospect, to get his first taste of the Major Leagues.
The 22-year-old switch-hitter earned the promotion after a breakout start at Iowa, slashing .312/.395/.547 with nine home runs through 43 games. Ramírez has paired elite contact skills with newfound power this season, rapidly climbing prospect rankings in the process.
Counsell cautioned that Ramírez is not expected to immediately step into an everyday role, but emphasized the value of exposing the young infielder to the Major League environment.
“It’s not going to be a big playing role,” Counsell said. “If it’s not going to be a playing role, it’s probably going to be a shorter stint. But I think it’s also good for him to get exposure to the Major Leagues, get exposure to the group, get exposure to the schedule, so that if we run into a situation where it is a lot of playing time, he doesn’t have to go through it for the first time while playing.”
Counsell added that Ramírez could still see occasional starts while serving as a versatile bench option.
“There could be a start here or there,” Counsell said. “We’ll take that kind of day to day.”
Ramírez’s versatility likely played a role in the decision. A Minor League Gold Glove winner at third base last season, he has experience throughout the infield and recently began seeing time in left field at Iowa.
“I think everybody can,” Counsell joked when asked if Ramírez could handle left field in a pinch hit role.
The Cubs have struggled offensively of late, entering Friday on a five-game losing streak after being swept by the Brewers earlier this week. Counsell, however, pushed back on the idea that the club needs to dramatically change its offensive approach.
“The hitter’s supposed to try to get a pitch he can hit,” Counsell said. “He’s supposed to try to hit it hard, and then he loses some control over what happens.”
Counsell noted the Cubs’ hard-hit rates with runners in scoring position have remained strong despite inconsistent results, pointing instead to strikeouts in key moments as a bigger issue.
“When you do have runners on base, you can’t give up an at-bat right now,” Counsell said. “That’s the play that kind of hurts you in that situation.”
For now, Ramírez will try to provide depth -- and perhaps a spark -- as the Cubs look to halt their recent slide.