Friday, May 5 is a big day for Matt Mervis. The Cubs' top first base prospect will make his major-league debut against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field.
The Chicago Cubs fanbase was sent into a frenzy of excitement on Thursday when initial news broke that the Cubs were indeed recalling top first base prospect Matt Mervis from Triple-A Iowa. On Friday, the team made it official by sending infielder Edwin Rios to Triple-A.
With the excitement high, the Cubs doubled down. Mervis is in the lineup on Friday as the Cubs welcome the Miami Marlins to Wrigley Field. He'll play first base and bat seventh in the order.
In addition to Mervis' insertion into the lineup, it is worth noting that another young name is in the lineup on Friday. One day removed from making his MLB debut, Miguel Amaya will once again serve as the team's backstop for LHP Justin Steele on Friday.
Amaya and Mervis in the lineup is quite a shock. The youth movement is beginning for the Cubs. With Yan Gomes on the IL, the Cubs are giving a fair shake to their top catching prospect rather than letting him ride the bench in what will likely be a short stay in the majors.
It's natural for fans to be excited about the youngsters, but patience will be the key with their development. Although both have plenty of upside at the major-league level, they'll need time to acclimate. Amaya had a solid showing on Thursday, recording his first RBI on a sac-fly. However, he was 0-3, but all three times he made contact, the exit velocity was over 100 mph.
The Cubs open their three-game set with the Marlins at 1:20 p.m. CDT on Friday. All three games of the weekend series are classic 1:20 p.m. starts.
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