The Chicago Cubs lost Catcher Miguel Amaya in last night’s win in Toronto over the Blue Jays. Amaya was trying to leg out an infield single when his left leg buckled and he went down with what appeared to be a left ankle injury. Manager Craig Counsell said after the game that Amaya will be heading back to the injured list, just one day after getting back to the major league squad. Amaya had been out since late May with an oblique injury, and the Chicago Cubs were looking forward to getting their starting catcher back.
Now with Amaya removed from the picture again, the Chicago Cubs are going in a different direction than they were earlier in the season when it comes to replacing Amaya on the active roster. Carson Kelly and Reese McGuire have been able to hold down the catching position in Amaya’s absence. Rather than recall Moisés Ballesteros for the third time this season, the Cubs are promoting top outfield prospect Caissie.
Owen Caissie Set To Join Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs had a decision to make when choosing who to bring up to the major league squad to replace Amaya after he went down with an ankle injury last night. Fans were expecting Ballesteros to get the nod and come up as a DH and emergency third catcher for the team in what would’ve been his third stint with the major league team of his rookie season. The Chicago Cubs made a surprising decision, however, and have decided to promote Caissie to the majors to make his big league debut. Caissie has been one of the top prospects in the organization for years.
The Chicago Cubs acquired Caissie in the trade that sent Yu Darvish to the San Diego Padres in 2020. Now, as a 23-year-old, Caissie has been banging on the door of the major leagues for two seasons, compiling an impressive stat line in AAA with the Iowa Cubs. After dominating AA in 2023, the Cubs promoted Caissie to AAA, where he has continued to develop and improve. This season, Caissie is slashing .289/.389/.566 with 22 HR and 52 RBI in 93 games. He will finally get his chance to prove himself at the major league level for a team with postseason aspirations.
Final Thoughts
The decision to bring up Caissie instead of Ballesteros comes with excitement and shows a definite change in philosophy. The Chicago Cubs came under fire for not being more active at the trade deadline, so by promoting Caissie, they can exhibit why they may have been reticent to move off some top prospects like Caissie.
It also reflects on the struggles of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker. The dynamic duo has been silent since the All-Star break, so Caissie could spell either PCA or Tucker and get them a reset to hopefully help them bounce back to their pre-ASB production.
