Catcher’s Return to Roster Leads to Intriguing Cubs Decision

The Chicago Cubs are now carrying three catchers on their 26-man active roster after Miguel Amaya was reinstated from the injured list. Veteran infielder Jon Berti was designated for assignment on Tuesday, meaning backup catcher Reese McGuire is sticking around with the Cubs along with Carson Kelly.

Amaya has been out since May 24, when he suffered an oblique strain against the Cincinnati Reds. The right-handed batter posted an .819 OPS in 27 games to begin the season as Amaya slashed .280/.313/.505, with four home runs and 25 RBI in 100 plate appearances. Dating back to last July, when Amaya made significant adjustments at the plate, he’s recorded a 123 wRC+ over 173 plate appearances.

McGuire, who at one point asked and was granted his release at Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs in early May, returned to the organization right before he was called up to replace the injured Amaya. McGuire has exceeded expectations, posting a .709 OPS in 27 games this year with the Cubs, so it’s not surprising that the team chose him over Berti, who had a .492 OPS in 107 plate appearances.

So, here’s how the active roster looks like following Tuesday’s movement.

Pitchers
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Matthew Boyd
Shōta Imanaga
Colin Rea
Cade Horton
Ryan Brasier
Taylor Rogers
Andrew Kittredge
Drew Pomeranz
Caleb Thielbar
Brad Keller
Daniel Palencia

Catchers
Miguel Amaya
Carson Kelly
Reese McGuire

Infielders
Michael Busch
Nico Hoerner
Dansby Swanson
Matt Shaw
Justin Turner

Outfielders
Ian Happ
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Kyle Tucker
Seiya Suzuki
Willi Castro

Although Amaya was primarily used against right-handed pitching before his oblique injury the Cubs are going with Kelly behind the plate in Toronto Tuesday night against José Berríos.

The Cubs begin their six-game road trip trailing the Milwaukee Brewers by 6.5 games for first place in the NL Central. The Cubs currently sit atop the NL Wild Card standings with a 67-50 record.