What Matt Shaw's Long-Awaited Return Means for the Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs will welcome back a major piece as they return to Wrigley Field.

Ahead of their series opener against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, the team has officially activated Matt Shaw. Kevin Alcantara will be optioned back to Triple-A to make room for the second-year utility man.

Shaw has been sidelined since June 29 due to a left hand strain. He was finally able to transition to rehab assignments last week after a longer-than-expected recovery. This also marked the second time that he was forced onto the IL, as he experienced back tightness near the end of May.

Overall, these injuries issues have led to only 56 games for Shaw this season.

How Will Matt Shaw Fit Back In?

May 10, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw (6) fields a ground ball during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Matt Shaw came into 2026 as the odd man out. Despite a relatively strong rookie campaign, the Chicago Cubs made the win-now decision to add Alex Bregman into the mix on a long-term deal. Add in the extension for Nico Hoerner at second and the elite skills of Dansby Swanson at short, and Shaw was boxed out of an obvious playing spot.

Nevertheless, Craig Counsell wasn't going to let Shaw's talents go to waste. The Cubs quickly found a spot for him in the outfield. More specifically, they would often start Shaw in right field and place Seiya Suzuki at DH.

It feels safe to assume that we will see the Cubs take a similar approach in the lead-up to the postseason. Technically, they will also have a chance to play Shaw more at second base with Swanson still on the IL. Nico Hoerner has been holding down the fort with Pedro Ramírez at second. The rookie has put together a great year thus far, even stringing together seven hits over his last five games.

Indeed, Counsell will likely want to keep Ramírez's bat in the lineup for now, making right field still one of the best spots for Shaw. An alternative could be moving Ramírez to DH more consistently, as he has started in that spot nine times since coming up.

It's also worth noting that Gabriel Arias is remaining on the active roster after he was recently picked up off waivers. A strong defensive man, he could also eat into potential infield playing time.

Regardless, Shaw will consistently find his way to be in the lineup one way or another. Not only is that something the Cubs made clear early this season, but it's a credit to his versatility. Shaw has slashed .246/.322/.415 with a .737 OPS. We specifically saw him rough up lefties with a .279 batting average and .845 OPS.

His return will likely mean less playing time for Michael Conforto. He's certainly had his moment this season, but the veteran was never brought in to play this big of a role. If anything, he's been awesome as a pinch hitter this year, so the Cubs may be thrilled to have him back in that position.

The roster is undoubtedly jammed with Shaw ready to return, but it's another great problem to have for Counsell! This is the time of year when you want to get healthy and have as many options as possible. The Cubs inch closer to that every day.

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