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Cubs' Matt Shaw Gets Bad Prediction Despite Justin Turner's Below-Average Play

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated May 17, 2025 1:30 PM ET

It's tough to blame the Chicago Cubs for sending Matt Shaw down when they did. On one hand, one could argue that panicking with the youngster didn't make much sense, given that they should’ve known that every player who comes up typically struggles when they're only 23 years old.

On the other hand, the Cubs are in a position where they could allow Shaw to struggle at the highest level. The issue, however, was that his at-bats weren't great. He struck out 18 times in 58 at-bats and often looked lost at the dish.

The Cubs sent him down to Triple-A in the hope of getting him back on track mentally.

When he'll return, however, is still uncertain.

Predicting when it could be, Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation suggested that it could be now, in a few weeks, or longer. His reasoning for the uncertain timeline was due to the Cubs needing to be convinced that he's ready to play in Major League Baseball.

“An effective Matt Shaw is the best, most realistic near-term solution for the position. Heck, even Shaw at something much less than his upside is probably a meaningful upgrade for the Cubs.

“But, given the reason Shaw was sent down in the first place – because the Cubs believed he’d gotten a little outside himself at the plate, just trying to survive up there rather than being able to do real damage – I don’t think he’s coming back up until the Cubs are convinced he’s in a very good place, ready to attack big league pitching. Maybe that’s now. Maybe that’s in a few weeks,” he wrote.

Shaw has started to light it up at Triple-A Iowa in recent days, a very promising sign.

With where the Cubs currently stand offensively at third base, it might be time to give him another chance.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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