The Cubs promoted top prospect Pedro Ramirez to the majors after utility player Matt Shaw was placed on the injured list with a tight back. Ramirez’s first weeks are expected to be limited as the team focuses on getting him acclimated.
When Matt Shaw’s tight back forced the Cubs to place him on the injured list ahead of Friday’s game, it didn’t just change the lineup for the day. It also set the stage for a new look from the Chicago organization.
The Cubs promoted Pedro Ramirez, their No. 2-ranked prospect, from Triple-A Iowa. The 22-year-old switch-hitter has spent the bulk of this season split between third base and second base. and in 43 games in the minors he posted a .312 batting average with a .942 OPS. He also has nine homers and 19 stolen bases.
But the message from manager Craig Counsell was clear: this call-up isn’t designed around expecting Ramirez to step into a starring role immediately. Counsell said the plan is about acclimation—learning how the major league routine feels day to day and building comfort with the group and the schedule.
“It’s not going to be a big playing role,” Counsell said. “But it’s also good for him to get exposure to the major leagues. to get exposure to the group. to 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 there could be opportunities along the way, even if they aren’t guaranteed at scale.
“There could be a start here or there. We’ll take that day to day.”
Even with limited expected minutes, Ramirez is still arriving with a reputation that matters. He is rated as the No. 85 prospect in the game, and Counsell pointed to the way Ramirez looked earlier this year—especially in spring training—as a reason the Cubs are paying close attention now.
“We saw in spring training, maybe, a glimpse of a player that was ready to have a big season,” Counsell said. “and he’s off to a great start.”
At the same time, Chicago’s problems haven’t paused for a prospect debut. On the pitching side, Jameson Taillon again found himself dealing with the kind of damage no starter wants to absorb.
With Wrigley Field’s winds gusting, Taillon couldn’t keep the ball in the yard in his last start against the crosstown rival White Sox, a outing in which he served up five homers. Friday was not as extreme, but it still ended with Taillon taking the loss and watching his home-run total rise further.
Taillon surrendered a solo shot to Astros catcher Christian Vazquez, and the damage pushed his season total to 17 long balls allowed in 10 starts—along with his league lead in home runs allowed growing.
After the Cubs managed just four hits in a 4-2 loss, Taillon said the feeling of being punished for one mistake can linger, especially when it comes early.
“When we’re not putting runs across, obviously I don’t want to put us in a hole,” Taillon said. “I’m thinking of these things: ‘One mistake could be the game.’”
He described how the swing of the night happened—an early homer that put the Cubs down 1-0.
“When I gave up that solo homer to put us down 1-0 early, with two strikes to the 9-hole hitter, that’s a crappy feeling and put us in a bad spot.”
Taillon didn’t make it out of the fifth inning on Friday. He finished with four runs and eight hits allowed, and his ERA jumped to 5.20.
The Cubs’ offense has been struggling to keep pace, and the losses have started to pile up in a way that’s hard to ignore. They scored two runs or fewer for the eighth time in 12 games, and the team fell in the series opener against the Astros.
That creates the kind of pressure that can make a pitcher sound more frustrated than usual when talking about the job of getting through the damage.
“When the game punches you, you’ve got to punch back and find a way,” Taillon said. “I need to punch back. I can say, ‘I thought I made some good pitches,’ all I want. But it comes down to results. It wasn’t good enough today.”
The Cubs’ hope is that Ramirez’s arrival—however small at first—adds a future spark without forcing a rushed adjustment in the present. For now. though. the night belonged to what’s been hurting Chicago most: getting the run production and pitching results that keep the pressure from mounting one mistake at a time.
Chicago Cubs Pedro Ramirez Matt Shaw injured list Craig Counsell Wrigley Field Jameson Taillon Christian Vazquez Astros player development
So they just called him up for vibes? lol
Matt Shaw hurt again? Feels like that guy is always on some list. I guess Pedro Ramirez can’t be worse than the lineup lately.
Wait I thought Pedro Ramirez was already in the majors or like, in the next year’s plans or whatever. They said it’s limited but also like “start here or there” which is basically the same thing as saying he’ll start when someone else gets hurt. Cubs logic.
tight back to IL is crazy, like how does a back get that bad just from baseball. Anyway .312 and 19 steals sounds good but if Counsell won’t let him play much then what’s the point?? just to sell jerseys in the first week? idk