Cubs call up star prospect as Ian Happ hits IL

The Chicago Cubs will be without Ian Happ for a while, as the infielder/outfielder is expected to hit the 10-day disabled list because of an oblique issue.

With Happ, who has missed the last three Chicago games, not available, Chicago has promoted star prospect Moisés Ballesteros from the minors. He can make his big league debut this Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins in the second game of a three-leg series at Wrigley Field.

“Breaking News – The Cubs will call up C/ DH Moises Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa. He will likely be in the starting lineup tomorrow. Ian Happ to go on IL with oblique issue,” shared Bruce Levine of The 670 Score via a post on X on Monday night.

Ballesteros played first base and catcher in the minors, but he might not play either role against the Marlins. For one, the Cubs may find it hard to have his start over catcher Carson Kelly, who boasts a 1.114 OPS so far in the 2025 MLB regular season. Meanwhile, Michael Busch, at first base, is hitting .267/.353/.533 in his last five games.

Related Chicago Cubs NewsArticle continues below

However, Busch also went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Monday’s 5-2 victory against Miami. A designated hitter role could be in the offing for Ballesteros. Chicago is just 16th in the big leagues in 2025 with just a 100 wRC+ in the designated hitter position, as Justin Turner is hitting only .155 to date. Meanwhile, Seiya Suzuki, the most-used DH by the Cubs, is hitting .245/.306/.510.

Regardless of which position Ballesteros will occupy, Cubs fans will have their attention on him once he sets foot at the plate. The 21-year-old Venezuelan is a career .288/.371/.459 hitter in the minor leagues with 50 home runs and 218 RBIs. He has turned heads with his performance at the plate in 2025 with Triple-A Iowa Cubs. slashing .368/.420/.522 with four home runs and 18 RBIs through 34 games and 150 plate appearances.

Hopefully for the Cubs, Ballesteros will be able to cover for what they’re missing from Happ’s bat. On the season, the 30-year-old Happ is hitting .269/.364/.381 with three home runs with 19 RBIs and an OPS+ of 114.


Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He’s a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines.

Related Posts

🔥 BREAKING: Freddіe Freemаn’ѕ wіfe hаѕ ѕhаred аn emotіonаl meѕѕаge аfter her huѕbаnd wаѕ honored аѕ MLB’ѕ beѕt fіrѕt bаѕemаn.👇👇

LOѕ аNGeLeѕ — аmіdѕt аррlаuѕe аnd brіght lіghtѕ, Freddіe Freemаn wаѕ once аgаіn nаmed one of Mаjor Leаgue Bаѕebаll’ѕ greаteѕt рlаyerѕ. But the moment thаt brought teаrѕ…

🧨 EXCLUSIVE: Scott Boras delivers a bombshell take on the possibility of Luis Robert Jr. joining Juan Soto with the Mets—could this be the dynamic duo New York has been waiting for? Fans are buzzing with anticipation as the future of the Mets seems to be shifting dramatically!

Scott Boras Drops Eye-Opening Take on Luis Robert Jr. Joining Juan Soto with Mets When the New York Mets made waves by acquiring Luis Robert Jr. to…

🔥 BREAKING: In аn unрrecedented move, the Loѕ Angeleѕ Dodgerѕ hаve аnnounced а contrаct extenѕіon аnd lіfetіme іnѕurаnce for Alex Veѕіа аfter the heаrtbreаkіng trаgedy he fаced. The decіѕіon hаѕ ѕhocked the bаѕebаll world, wіth the Dodgerѕ ѕhowіng іmmenѕe ѕuррort for the ріtcher, ѕolіdіfyіng hіѕ рlаce іn the teаm’ѕ future deѕріte the рerѕonаl hаrdѕhірѕ. Fаnѕ аnd аnаlyѕtѕ аlіke аre рrаіѕіng the orgаnіzаtіon for іtѕ comраѕѕіonаte geѕture durіng one of the moѕt chаllengіng tіmeѕ іn Veѕіа’ѕ lіfe. 👇👇

LOѕ аNGeLeѕ — іn а move thаt left the entіre MLB communіty ѕрeechleѕѕ, the ownerѕ of the Loѕ аngeleѕ Dodgerѕ decіded to extend the contrаct аnd рrovіde…

Breaking News: Atlanta is making quiet but impactful moves. Reports say the Braves have secured a seven-figure deal with a shortstop linked to superstar bloodlines. Another potential star could be on the rise in the Braves pipeline. 🔥

Braves rumored to have pre-agreement with Ronald Acuña Jr.’s cousin: Smart investment or risky gamble? The international free agent (IFA) market in Major League Baseball has always…

REPORT NEWS!! In a move that shocked the baseball world, the Pittsburgh Pirates are going all-in — signing slugger Marcell Ozuna to a high-stakes one-year deal. The “Big Bear” brings veteran presence and serious power to a young roster still searching for its identity. This gamble sends a clear message: Pittsburgh isn’t waiting for the future anymore — they want to win now. ⚾

Pittsburgh Pirates Sign Marcell Ozuna to One-Year Deal: Full Contract Details, Lineup Impact, and 2026 Playoff Outlook PITTSBURGH, PA — February 10, 2026 — In one of…

🔥 BREAKING: Former Aѕtroѕ рlаyer Mаurіcіo Dubón hаѕ juѕt аnnounced thаt hіѕ wіfe іѕ exрectіng theіr ѕecond chіld, reveаlіng hіѕ dreаm of rаіѕіng а future Houѕton Wаrrіor.👇👇

Houѕton іѕ once аgаіn mаkіng heаdlіneѕ for Mаurіcіo Dubón — not for а gаme-wіnnіng hіt or verѕаtіle defenѕe, but for good newѕ thаt brіngѕ ѕmіleѕ to the…