With Suzuki sidelined, Matt Shaw steps into right field. Learn how his versatility could secure consistent at-bats and impact the Cubs' season.
The regular season is finally here.
The Chicago Cubs will officially kick off their season on Thursday against the Washington Nationals. Matthew Boyd will draw the Opening Day start opposite Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli.
The Cubs' lineup for their season opener is pretty much what everyone expected. Here is the full lineup for Opening Day against the Nationals.
- Michael Busch, 1B
- Alex Bregman, 3B
- Ian Happ, LF
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF
- Nico Hoerner, 2B
- Carson Kelly, C
- Moises Ballesteros, DH
- Dansby Swanson, SS
- Matt Shaw, RF
With Seiya Suzuki on the 10-day injured list, Matt Shaw will get the start in right field. He saw plenty of playing time in the outfield throughout the spring and should see consistent at-bats in the lineup until Suzuki returns.
Shaw will start a handful of games in the outfield over the next week while Suzuki is nursing his knee injury. He should see opportunities in right field and should be in the lineup almost every day.
It is also nice to see Moises Ballesteros in the lineup on Opening Day. MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 overall prospect will officially bat seventh and be the Cubs designated hitter against the Nationals on Thursday afternoon.
Ballesteros should see the majority of designated hitter starts against right-handed pitching this season. Given that the Nationals are throwing out three straight right-handed pitchers in this series, Ballesteros should be in the lineup for all three contests.
It’ll be interesting to see when both Michael Conforto and Dylan Carlson make their Cubs debut. Both made the Opening Day roster and are the third and fourth outfielders on this roster to open the season.
There’s a chance the Cubs replace Shaw in the outfield in tight games to begin the year. Conforto and Carlson could both be defensive substitutions in the later innings since Shaw had some struggles in right field this spring.
Although Shaw lost his everyday spot at third base this offseason, there is a world where the 24-year-old still sees upward of 400 plate appearances in 2026. His ability to play all around the diamond should allow him to see consistent at-bats.
Shaw could see work at third base, shortstop, second base, right field, and first base this season. He has prior experience playing third base, shortstop, and second base, and started games at both right field and first base this spring.
It is important for Shaw to continue developing offensively following an up-and-down rookie season. Seeing consistent plate appearances each week should help with that development.
So, despite losing his job this winter, Shaw should see enough at-bats this season.