Matt Shaw is reportedly being optioned to Triple-A, Vidal Bruján reinstated

According to The Athletic's Keith Law, the Chicago Cubs are optioning third baseman Matt Shaw down to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. 

In place of Shaw, the Cubs are reinstating infielder Vidal Bruján, who has spent the initial portion of the season on the injured list with an elbow injury he suffered at the end of Spring Training. 

The news is a bit of a surprise, given Shaw has been utilized as the team's everyday third baseman. But Shaw has seen mixed results in his first taste of MLB. Although his defense at the hot corner has been solid, Shaw is clearly struggling to adjust to big-league pitching at the plate. In his first 68 plate appearances, the 23-year-old is slashing .172/.294/.536 with 18 strikeouts, one home run, and a 66 wRC+. 

That is a far cry from Shaw's minor league numbers. In 693 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A, the former first-round pick smacked 21 home runs, swiped 31 bags, and posted an .867 OPS. 

This is definitely not a permanent move, and the Cubs likely think Shaw needs more refinement with his bat before coming back to an everyday role in the lineup later in the season. 

In the meantime, the Cubs have to figure out what to do at third base. Although Bruján has played some experience at third base in his career, Jon Berti seems like the likely candidate to handle the position in Shaw's absence, with Gage Workman possibly getting more playing time/starts. Justin Turner is also in the mix, but he has primarily been utilized as a first baseman/DH in recent years given his age (40). 

The move is part of a flurry of roster decisions the Cubs announced on Tuesday, including optioning reliever Nate Pearson, putting Eli Morgan on the injured list, and recalling Triple-A pitchers Luke Little and Daniel Palencia.