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Chicago Cubsfirst baseman Michael Busch has struggled coming out of the All-Star break. Over his last 28 games he has posted a .265 batting average, .305 on-base percentage, .668 OPS, three home runs and 14 RBIs.
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Still, even with his recent struggles he remains an important piece of Chicago’s lineup. Over the past three seasons since being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Busch has been one of the most underrated hitters in the league.
With Chicago thriving and looking to make a deep run in this year’s MLB playoffs, Busch will need to get back to his best form soon to make that run easier.
Busch was not included in Chicago’s lineup for Sunday’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead, Pedro Ramirez got the start at first base, marking just his third appearance at the position this year.
While speaking with reporters pregame, manager Craig Counsell announced the reason behind Busch’s removal along with the plan to find another option at first base.
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“Craig Counsell said Pedro Ramirez is starting at 1B today to give Michael Busch a day off, but the team is also exploring options for backup first basemen. Carson Kelly and Matt Shaw are others, and James Triantos is taking some pregame reps there as we speak,” reported Jared Wyllys of CHGO Sports.
Craig Counsell said Pedro Ramirez is starting at 1B today to give Michael Busch a day off, but the team is also exploring options for backup first basemen.
Carson Kelly and Matt Shaw are others, and James Triantos is taking some pregame reps there as we speak.
— Jared Wyllys (@jwyllys) August 16, 2026
Matt Shaw, who has been sidelined since June with a sprained left hand, seems like the best fit given he is roadblocked at both second base and third base with Nico Hoerner and Alex Bregman both inked to long-term contracts.
Carson Kelly is another strong option given the Cubs also have Miguel Amaya behind the plate.
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This story was originally published August 16, 2026 at 11:12 AM.