How Chicago Cubs player Matt Shaw did in his rehab game with Iowa Cubs
· Yahoo Sports
As Matt Shaw entered his second season in the big leagues with the Chicago Cubs, the former prized prospect had to get used to a new role with the team.
Shaw, who had primarily played third base during his rookie season, was moved into a super utility role when the Cubs signed veteran Alex Bregman. But Shaw is once again getting to play every day.
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Shaw went 0-for-3 at the plate and was lifted after six innings, as planned, during the first game of a rehabilitation assignment with the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park on Tuesday, June 2. Shaw, who was penciled into the starting lineup hitting second and playing center in his first game, will get some consistent at-bats as he works his way back from an injury.
"It's not like my role was necessarily everyday anyways in the big leagues, so I definitely feel good and obviously have some rest and am getting my back in a good place," Shaw said after the game. "But I feel great."
Shaw was placed on the 10-day injured list back on May 22 with mid-back tightness, retroactive to May 20. The first-round pick by the Cubs and former prized prospect was hitting .242 (23-for-95) with six doubles, three home runs and three stolen bases with a .291 on base percentage in 42 games with Chicago this season.
His first test back on the field? Facing veteran and likely future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander, who was on a rehab assignment of his own with the Detroit Tigers pitching for the visiting Toledo Mud Hens.
Shaw lightly flew out to left field in his first at-bat in the first inning. He grounded out to shortstop in the third and then finished his night by lining out to center in the sixth inning. The results weren’t ideal. But simply getting back on the field was an important moment for Shaw.
“It felt good,” Shaw said. “I felt healthy. So, I was ready to rock and roll.”
Shaw has played first, second and third base this season along with left, center and right field. Most of his playing time has come in right field. Before Tuesday’s game, he’d only played one other game this season in center. But moving around is likely to be the norm for him moving forward, even in Des Moines. Iowa manager Marty Pevey said prior to the game that Shaw would DH for the team Wednesday.
“It’s definitely a lot easier to play one position than to move around a lot,” Shaw said. “I’ve realized that playing six, seven different positions, I think the best thing I can do is just kind of be average at all those positions. You just don’t have enough time in the day to be trained at seven positions like it is when you play there every day and you’ve got your routine and all those things. I’m figuring it out.”
Shaw made a nice catch early in the game in center. He’ll continue to get playing time this week in Iowa as he works his way back into the big leagues. How long will he be with Iowa? Even he isn’t sure.
“I’ve heard a couple of different plans but it sounds like I’ll get a few games in here, get my feet under me and then head back to Chicago,” Shaw said.
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at [email protected] or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Chicago Cubs player Matt Shaw plays first rehab game in Des Moines