The Cubs face the Cincinnati Reds in a Wrigley Field day game Friday, as Chicago tries to solidify its lead in the National League wild-card race.
The Cubs hold the top Wild Card position in the NL, just two games up on the Philadelphia Phillies and four in front of the San Diego Padres with 28 games left on the regular season schedule.
Before facing the Reds, the Cubs made a decision on the immediate future of the No. 6 prospect in their system, who has mostly struggled at the plate during his call-up with the big league club.
The Cubs decided to option lanky, 6-foot-6, 188-pound outfielder Kevin Alcántara to Triple-A Iowa on Friday, clearing a roster spot for Matt Shaw’s return from a two-month hand injury, according to a team announcement Friday morning.
It is the fifth time this season Chicago has sent Alcántara down, and the pattern is pretty revealing about where the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, native stands in a crowded outfield picture. The 24-year-old was just recalled on August 17, giving him barely two weeks back in the big leagues before the demotion.
Chicago Reinstates Matt Shaw, Alcántara Pays Price
Shaw, the Cubs’ versatile infielder-outfielder, had been out since June 29 with a sprained left hand in his second injured list stint of the year after an earlier bout of mid-back tightness. He hit .316, going 6-for-19 with four RBI across five rehab games at Iowa, according to Cubs Insider. Chicago activated him ahead of Friday’s series opener against Cincinnati at Wrigley.
Alcántara’s latest stint produced little to change his standing in the organization’s eyes. He batted .240, with six hits in 25 at-bats, one home run and six RBI over 24 games this season. He’s also been optioned in March, June, July and early August, used mostly as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement.
| CINCINNATI REDS STARTING LINEUP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Rhett Lowder (RHP) • 5-8, 5.13 ERA | ||||
| August 28, 2026 • Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL • 2:20 PM EDT • Reds at Cubs | ||||
| # | Player | Pos | AVG | SLG |
| 1 | Dane Myers | CF | .260 | .366 |
| 2 | Elly De La Cruz | SS | .265 | .475 |
| 3 | Sal Stewart | 1B | .261 | .472 |
| 4 | Tyler Stephenson | DH | .245 | .406 |
| 5 | Eugenio Suárez | 3B | .208 | .410 |
| 6 | JJ Bleday | LF | .219 | .436 |
| 7 | Matt McLain | 2B | .193 | .350 |
| 8 | Jose Trevino | C | .230 | .363 |
| 9 | Héctor Rodríguez | RF | .220 | .440 |
| Lineups confirmed. Season stats shown (AVG / SLG). | ||||
Kevin Alcántara’s Path From the Bronx to Wrigley
Alcántara, born July 12, 2002, in Santo Domingo, signed with the New York Yankees in 2018 as a 16-year-old international free agent for a $1 million bonus, according to Spotrac’s contract database. New York shipped him to Chicago on July 29, 2021, along with right-hander Alexander Vizcaíno, in the trade that sent Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees.
Nicknamed “Jaguar,” Alcántara spent his early years in the Cubs organization wrestling with more than just pitching. Alcántara has described feeling isolated after landing in Arizona, unable to order food or communicate with teammates. He leaned on English lessons the Cubs provided to turn that around.
“There’s advice that you can’t get because you don’t know English because the American coaches can’t communicate with you,” Alcántara said, as quoted by Marquee Sports Network’s Andy Martinez. “It’s really tough, honestly. It’s a course that you must learn.”
The development paid off in flashes. He hit .266 with 17 home runs at Iowa in 2025 despite offseason surgery for a sports hernia, and he ranked as high as the Cubs’ No. 6 prospect entering last season, according to MLB Pipeline’s organizational rankings.
Alcántara now heads back to Iowa to keep hitting and keep waiting. He remains under Cubs control for years to come, but the clock in Chicago keeps ticking.
The Cubs’ front office still views his raw power and speed as assets worth developing, even as younger prospects climb past him on the depth chart. Whether that patience turns into a trade, a bench role or another September look, the next decision on Alcántara likely arrives soon.
| CHICAGO CUBS STARTING LINEUP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: David Peterson (LHP) • 7-7, 5.17 ERA | ||||
| August 28, 2026 • Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL • 2:20 PM EDT • Reds at Cubs | ||||
| # | Player | Pos | AVG | SLG |
| 1 | Pete Crow-Armstrong | CF | .276 | .550 |
| 2 | Seiya Suzuki | RF | .270 | .478 |
| 3 | Michael Busch | 1B | .244 | .394 |
| 4 | Alex Bregman | 3B | .252 | .412 |
| 5 | Ian Happ | LF | .220 | .426 |
| 6 | Nico Hoerner | SS | .258 | .354 |
| 7 | Pedro Ramírez | 2B | .286 | .429 |
| 8 | Michael Conforto | DH | .232 | .469 |
| 9 | Carson Kelly | C | .260 | .375 |
| Lineups confirmed. Season stats shown (AVG / SLG). | ||||
Cubs Announce Decision on No. 6 Prospect Before Reds Game