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.
... See More... See Less
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.
... See More... See Less
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.
... See More... See Less
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.
... See More... See Less
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.
... See More... See Less
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.
... See More... See Less
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.
... See More... See Less
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.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: To make Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Ballesteros was informed Friday that he will be on the Cubs' Opening Day roster, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
Ballesteros impressed in his MLB debut last season, slashing .298/.394/.474 across 66 plate appearances. The 22-year-old hasn't skipped a beat this spring, going 11-for-31 (.355) with two home runs, two doubles and eight RBI. Ballesteros has the inside track to begin the season as the Cubs' DH, but with fellow catchers Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya on the team, opportunities behind the plate will likely be limited.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Officially with team
Rotowire
Ballesteros reported to spring camp Sunday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Ballesteros has officially joined the Cubs for spring camp after dealing with visa issues entering the United States. Just 22 years old, Ballesteros could compete for the Cubs' DH job after slashing .298/.394/.474 with two homers, 11 RBI and 12 runs across 66 plate appearances for the team in 2025.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Not expected back until next week
Rotowire
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Ballesteros (personal) isn't expected to report to camp until next weekend at the soonest, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
The Cubs are short on catching depth for the early part of camp, as Ballesteros and non-roster invitee Christian Bethancourt continue to work through visa issues that have delayed their arrival in the United States. A poor defender, Ballesteros likely won't be counted on to make frequent starts behind the plate with the Cubs in 2026, but he's an impact bat who could push his way into the everyday lineup as a designated hitter. Ballesteros didn't look overmatched in his first exposure to big-league pitching last season, slashing .298/.394/.474 with a 13.6 percent walk rate and 18.2 percent strikeout rate over his 66 regular-season plate appearances for Chicago.
Ballesteros has a clearer path to the Cubs' starting DH job as a result of the trade that sent Owen Caissie to the Marlins for Edward Cabrera, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Ballesteros acquitted himself quite well in 66 major-league plate appearances during the 2025 regular season, slashing .298/.394/.474 with two homers. His 13.6 BB rate and 18.2 K rate were particularly encouraging for a player making his debut as a 21-year-old. Ballesteros might get pushed into the strong-side of a platoon with Matt Shaw, who lost his starting third base job when the Cubs signed Alex Bregman.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Taking seat against southpaw
Rotowire
Ballesteros is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.
Carlos Santana will step in at designated hitter in place of Ballesteros, who will sit for the second time in the series while the Reds send another lefty to the bump in Andrew Abbott. Since being called up from Triple-A Iowa on Sept. 9, Ballesteros has posted a .999 OPS over nine games. He should have a clear path to regular playing time against right-handed pitching while Kyle Tucker (calf) remains on the shelf.
Ballesteros could return to the majors later in the season to give the Cubs a left-handed bench bat for the stretch run, Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com report.
Ballesteros got a brief taste of the majors earlier in the season, appearing in six games for the Cubs, but he's spent most of the year with Triple-A Iowa. The 21-year-old catching prospect has excelled at the level, posting a .321 batting average, .865 OPS, 11 home runs and 65 RBI in 99 games. If Ballesteros does return to Chicago at some point, it will be for his bat in the right matchups, as the Cubs seem content with Carson Kelly and Reese McGuire behind the plate, and Miguel Amaya (ankle) could rejoin the team at some point as well.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Returns to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Cubs optioned Ballesteros to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
The 21-year-old was called up Wednesday by Chicago and went 1-for-2 with three-run double that day against Milwaukee, but he'll head back to the minors to make room on the MLB roster for trade deadline acquisition Willi Castro. Ballesteros has a .334/.393/.497 slash line with 26 doubles, nine homers and three steals in 86 games this year at Iowa.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Headed to majors
Rotowire
The Cubs are expected to recall Ballesteros from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Ballesteros went just 3-for-16 during his first MLB stint back in May but has bounced back nicely in the minors since then, slashing .307/.374/.477 with 38 RBI and 28 runs scored over his last 51 games. The corresponding move for the 21-year-old's promotion hasn't yet been announced, though it could foreshadow a move to the IL for Ian Happ, who injured his shin during Tuesday's loss to the Brewers.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Cubs optioned Ballesteros to Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.
With Ian Happ (oblique) back from the 10-day IL, Ballesteros is headed back to the minors. Across his first 18 big-league plate appearances, Ballesteros slashed .188/.278/.188 with zero extra-base hits, three RBI, three runs scored and a 2:1 BB:K.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Promotion made official
Rotowire
The Cubs selected Ballesteros' contract from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Ballesteros earned the promotion after batting .368 with four home runs, 18 RBI and three stolen bases over 34 games at Iowa. The 21-year-old will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game and could serve as the Cubs' primary designated hitter while Ian Happ (oblique) is out, with Seiya Suzuki covering left field.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Ready for big-league debut
Rotowire
Ballesteros is expected to be called up from Triple-A Iowa ahead of Tuesday's game against the Marlins, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
A 21-year-old catching prospect, Ballesteros will likely enter the lineup Tuesday against the Marlins and could see regular starts at designated hitter with Ian Happ (oblique) set to be placed on the injured list in a corresponding move. Ballesteros has been mashing at Triple-A so far this season, batting .368 with four home runs, 18 RBI and three stolen bases over 34 games.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' Moises Ballesteros: Reaches Double-A at 19
Rotowire
Ballesteros was promoted from High-A South Bend to Double-A Tennessee on Sept. 12.
An unconventional prospect, Ballesteros draws some comparisons to Alejandro Kirk, as a round-bodied (listed at 5-foot-7, 195 pounds) catcher who may fit better at designated hitter but whose bat could end up profiling anywhere. All told, the lefty-hitting 19-year-old has a .284/.374/.448 slash line, 14 home runs, a 27.9 percent hard-hit rate and a 16.4 percent strikeout rate in 495 plate appearances across Single-A, High-A and Double-A.
