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Ballesteros isn't in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rangers.
Ballesteros will take a day to regroup after going 0-for-11 at the plate across his last four games. Michael Conforto will step in as the Cubs' designated hitter and bat second.
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Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Powers team Sunday
Rotowire
Ballesteros went 2-for-4 with a walk, a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Diamondbacks.
Ballesteros snapped an 0-for-16 slump across his previous four games with a strong performance Sunday. Even following the mini cold spell, the 22-year-old is having a tremendous season with a .317/.380/.598 slash line, six home runs and 18 RBI across 30 contests. The Cubs also announced recently that Ballesteros would begin to see more playing time behind the plate, which should elevate his fantasy appeal once he gains eligibility at catcher in most formats.
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Will see more action at catcher
Rotowire
The Cubs are "accelerating the catching program" for Ballesteros, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
Ballesteros made his second appearance and first start of the season at catcher in Monday's loss to the Padres. He remains the primary designated hitter and No. 3 catcher behind Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, but Ballesteros will be worked in more behind the plate moving forward. Ballesteros needs eight more appearances at catcher in order to gain eligibility at the position in most fantasy leagues. It sounds like he should get there, which would be a boon for the fantasy prospects of a player who's slashing a ridiculous .387/.435/.710 with five home runs and a 6:12 BB:K.
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Crushes grand slam in loss
Rotowire
Ballesteros went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Monday's 9-7 loss against the Padres.
Ballesteros, making his second appearance of the season at catcher Monday, put the Cubs back in the game with a grand slam in the fourth inning to give his club the lead, though it wouldn't hold in a high-scoring loss. It has been a monster start to 2026 for the 22-year-old, who's slashing .387/.435/.710 with five homers, five doubles, 16 RBI and 12 runs across 25 games. Chicago has maximized his opportunities against right-handed pitching, with 57 of Ballesteros' 62 at-bats coming against righties.
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Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Making first start at catcher
Rotowire
Ballesteros will start at catcher and bat sixth in Monday's game versus the Padres.
It's the first start and second appearance at catcher this season for Ballesteros, who is slashing .397/.446/.690 with four home runs as the Cubs' primary designated hitter. Most of Ballesteros' playing time is likely to continue to come at DH, but it would be a major boost to his fantasy prospects if he catches enough to gain eligibility at the position.
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Launches fourth home run
Rotowire
Ballesteros went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Saturday's 12-4 loss to the Dodgers.
Ballesteros continued his strong start to the season, as he's now batting .397 with a 1.136 OPS and four home runs through 24 games. The 22-year-old has emerged as Chicago's top DH option due to his strong offensive production, though the team is still rotating other players into that spot, particularly when facing left-handed starters.
Ballesteros went 2-for-2 with a three-run home run in Friday's 12-4 win over the Mets.
Ballesteros gave the Cubs an early jolt with a three-run homer in the first inning, his third home run of the season. The 22-year-old was eventually lifted for a pinch hitter, but not before he boosted his batting average to .375 and his OPS to a robust 1.034. Ballesteros has competition for playing time as Chicago's primary DH, but his strong play so far is making it hard to keep him out of the lineup.
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Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Riding pine Wednesday
Rotowire
Ballesteros is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.
Ballesteros had served as the Cubs' designated hitter in six of the past seven games but will be riding pine Wednesday while the Phillies send a tough lefty (Jesus Luzardo) to the hill. Seiya Suzuki will get a day off from playing the outfield and will draw the start at DH in the series finale.
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Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Delivers two hits off bench
Rotowire
Ballesteros went 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Monday's 13-7 loss to the Phillies.
Ballesteros didn't start the contest with Philadelphia trotting out lefty Cristopher Sanchez, but the former made his mark once he did get into the game. This was the third straight two-hit effort for Ballesteros, who is now batting .333 for the season to go along with a .903 OPS. The 22-year-old may continue to sit regularly against southpaws, though he appears to be Chicago's top DH option against righties, particularly due to his recent hot streak.
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Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Idle against southpaw
Rotowire
Ballesteros is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies.
After a string of five consecutive starts, the left-handed-hitting Ballesteros will take a seat while the Cubs face a tough lefty (Cristopher Sanchez) in the series opener in Philadelphia. Seiya Suzuki will get a day off from playing the outfield and will step in as the Cubs' designated hitter in place of Ballesteros.
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Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Moves up in order, hits homer
Rotowire
Ballesteros went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 7-6 win over the Pirates.
With the Cubs struggling to score runs, manager Craig Counsell shook up his lineup Sunday and moved Ballesteros up to the second spot after he hit no higher than fifth in the order in any of the previous 14 games. Ballesteros struck out in the first inning but tagged Bubba Chandler for a solo shot in the third before singling in the fifth. Ballesteros was later pinch hit for in the seventh. The 22-year-old is now slashing .294/.342/.471 with two home runs, six RBI, five runs scored and a 3:9 BB:K across 38 plate appearances. If he's able to stick near the top of the lineup, Ballesteros should have more opportunities to make an impact in the box score.
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Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Records first home run in win
Rotowire
Ballesteros went 2-for-4 with a home run, an additional run scored and three total RBI in Tuesday's 9-2 win over the Rays.
Ballesteros got on the board with his first home run of the season when he took Yoendrys Gomez deep in the ninth inning to put the icing on the cake in an easy Chicago win. The 23-year-old has seen his playing time begin to decrease as he's been in a slump with just a .208 average and .592 OPS even after Tuesday's promising performance. Ballesteros has plenty of offensive upside, and while the Cubs will likely continue to rotate players into the DH spot, the youngster should still see his fair share of opportunities, particularly if he can get on a hot streak.
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Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Playing time trending down
Rotowire
Ballesteros is out of the lineup for the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Guardians.
Ballesteros will hit the bench for a third straight game after he started the first five contests of the season. The previous two absences came against a lefty starter, but right-hander Slade Cecconi is taking the ball for Cleveland in the first game of Sunday's twin bill. Alex Bregman is resting his legs but staying in the lineup at designated hitter while Matt Shaw handles the hot corner.
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Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Sitting versus southpaw
Rotowire
Ballesteros is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Angels.
The Cubs are facing a lefty in Yusei Kikuchi for the first time this season, so the left-handed-hitting Ballesteros will receive his first day off. Miguel Amaya will occupy the designated-hitter spot in Wednesday's rubber match.
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