FINALLY! Top Cubs prospect Matt Shaw is starting at third base and batting second Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds after missing the team's first 1.5 weeks of spring training games. Shaw, who was penciled in as the Opening Day starter at the hot corner entering camp, had a setback early on after feeling oblique soreness.
Now, the time is ticking to see if Shaw will have enough game action under his belt to be ready for Chicago's first two regular season games in Japan on March 18 and 19, against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Japan. Shaw has slowly been ramping back up at camp and it's a great sign to see his debut this spring training.
MATT SHAW IN THE STARTING LINEUP pic.twitter.com/NbaUN5ZyYW
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) March 2, 2025
(Previous Update)
Aaaaaaand we're back! So, in less than 24 hours we've gone from Bruce Levine saying that Matt Shaw won't be ready in time to play against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Japan on March 18 and 19, to the prospect now preparing to make his spring training debut. There's hope!
The Cubs will be leaving in a couple weeks to get acclimated overseas, so there's more attention put on Shaw's oblique rehab that has held him out of Cactus League action thus far. It's been a couple weeks since Shaw has been slowed down because of an oblique issue, but now the infielder is ready to play in games in Arizona.
Shaw told Levine on Thursday that he'll be back on the diamond within the next few days.
News from Cubs camp-Rookie Matt Shaw told me and @WatchMarquee he will start playing in games the next few games with no hesitation or restrictions.Dealing with oblique issue since Feb 5th.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) February 27, 2025
Big news for the Cubs and Shaw as the team has also already informed fans that Nico Hoerner will not be making the trip to Japan. It wouldn't be the end of the world, but having two starting infielders out for the first two games of the regular season would be a tough pill to swallow against the Dodgers.
If Shaw does get enough in-game reps, then he'll certainly be on that flight to Japan to open up the season against Los Angeles. Fingers crossed that Shaw is in the starting lineup for the Cubs soon, but that won't be until Friday at the earliest.
Here's Thursday's Cubs' lineup against the Los Angeles Angels.
At home against the Angels!
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) February 27, 2025
Watch on the Marquee Sports Network app. pic.twitter.com/qStsH2Fv6S
(Previous Update)
Man, I sure do hate oblique injuries. One day you panic, the next day things seem fine and then all of a sudden it's been two weeks and Matt Shaw is barely getting back into the hitting cages at spring training. According to 670 The Score's baseball reporter Bruce Levine, you can forget about Shaw playing in Japan in about three weeks.
Shaw has not appeared in any of the team's first six game in the Cactus League in Arizona and isn't playing on Wednesday either. While Cubs manager Craig Counsell said the team isn't ruling anything out for Shaw, Levine is saying the Cubs are waiting to make the decision official before heading out to their trip to Japan.
The Cubs haven’t announced it yet, but Matt Shaw (oblique) almost certainly won’t make the trip to Japan, @MLBBruceLevine says.
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) February 26, 2025
"There’s no way he’s going to be ready to go there and compete," Levine says.
"You want him for the other 160 games."
Listen: https://t.co/ykdrWqMmd0 pic.twitter.com/qophh0AtbC
Here's what Counsell said about Shaw's progress on Tuesday.
“He took ground balls in the stadium yesterday and threw,” manager Craig Counsell said on Tuesday. “So he kind of goes every other day on that perspective.”
Shaw was scheduled to hit in the cages on Tuesday, but don’t have an exact timeline of when he could get into game action.
“No, it’s not too far,” Counsell said. “We’re not ruling him out for anything, I guess is the best way to say it.”
The Cubs begin regular season play with a pair of games against the Los Angeles Dodgers on March 18 and 19, in Japan. In regards to Shaw, if he's not getting any game action within the next week, then it's doubtful that he'll be ready for the two-game set. And well, maybe at this point the focus is on March 27, Opening Day across MLB, which includes the start of a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
If Shaw is indeed out for the Dodgers' games, then Gage Workman all of a sudden has a great chance to make the team. It's already been trending that way, but if Shaw is out, then the Cubs need additional depth at third base behind veteran Jon Berti.
Workman has been impressive on defense at third through a week of spring training games, while also generating positive results at the plate. The Cubs acquired Workman in the offseason from the Detroit Tigers in the Rule 5 Draft. The 25-year-old played in Double-A last season.
By the way, it's also likely that Nico Hoerner won't be making that trip to Japan either. He's been rehabbing from his right flexor tendon surgery and also hasn't come close to appearing in a spring training game. So, Hoerner's status also opens the door for fringe guys like Vidal Bruján, Nicky Lopez and prospect James Triantos to make the original 26-man roster as well.
