The Chicago Cubs are looking for a starting third baseman, and the search just got a little bit harder.
Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, top prospect Matt Shaw is dealing with an oblique injury and will be sidelined for the time being.
The good news is the Cubs do not believe the injury is going to be serious. As of Friday, February 14, Shaw is listed as day-to-day.
Oblique injuries are tough, though. Minor strains can resolve within a few days, but the more severe strains can take a few months to get better. On average, a hitter takes 27 days to fully recover from grade 1 strains.
Shaw has yet to get an MRI on the injury, so it has not been determined how long he will sit out. For now, expect the 23-year-old to be out for a couple days.
This setback is even worse news for the Maryland product because he was officially a frontrunner for the starting third base spot on opening day. Chicago missed out on Alex Bregman, so the hot corner is wide open for anybody to win during Spring Training.
The right-handed hitter had success at all levels in the minor leagues. He has a career .303 batting average with an OPS of .906. In 159 games, Shaw has homered 29 times, collected 99 RBI, stolen 46 bases and he has scored 105 runs. He also has a career minor league strikeout rate of just 20%, so he makes a lot of contact.
During practice later in the day, the Cubs had new signee Jon Berti take reps at third base.
— The Setup Man – Chicago Cubs YT Channel (@SetupManKyle) February 14, 2025
Third base is the position Berti has played the most throughout his seven-year career. However, it is also his worst position on the diamond in terms of fielding percentage. He does play all over the field, but with Shaw missing some time, Berti is the next man up.
The Cubs have Vidal Brujan and Nicky Lopez in camp, as well. Those two players can also play third, but they were at different positions during infield work Friday afternoon.
The hot corner is going to become even more of a question mark if the top prospect is forced to miss significant time during Spring Training.
For now, it looks like Shaw has avoided missing any serious time. However, it is something to keep an eye on for the next few days as he continues to get better.
