Cubs move Matt Shaw to 10-day IL with left-hand sprain, Ethan Roberts to injured list

In Sunday’s afternoon game at Wrigley Field, Matt Shaw fouled off a pitch from Brewers left-hander Aaron Ashby in the seventh inning, then immediately grimaced and went through a visible range-of-motion check with his left hand. The discomfort did not pass quickly. After manager Craig Counsell saw Shaw’s pain persist into later at-bats, Counsell pinch-hit for him as the Cubs maintained the lead in a tight late game that ultimately stretched to extra innings.

Chicago’s 4-3, 10-inning win over Milwaukee carried its own momentum, but Shaw’s follow-through issues became the bigger storyline by the end of the night. Counsell’s early characterization of the substitution was precautionary, according to the Cubs’ report, but the team held out hope that the hand would settle. By Monday, the soreness remained enough that the Cubs made a formal injured-list decision.

The Cubs placed Shaw on the 10-day injured list prior to the opener of a three-game set with the Padres. The injury designation was a left hand sprain, reflecting that the team viewed the problem as localized to the hand and wrist area rather than something that could be masked with a routine day-to-day off-field plan.

The Cubs also placed Ethan Roberts on the injured list with a right forearm injury. With Shaw out as an everyday-infield presence and Roberts sidelined as a depth option on the pitching side, Chicago’s immediate challenge is straightforward but not minor: the roster needs to absorb two IL moves without letting lineup depth or bullpen flexibility erode during a stretch against a division-caliber opponent.

For the Cubs, the timing is especially relevant because the move was made before a Padres series, meaning the replacements must be ready to contribute quickly. Shaw’s role in the batting order and his ground-ball/defensive versatility are the kind of assets that become harder to replicate when an injury removes both a player and a specific game plan.

Counsell’s approach on Sunday already hinted at how the Cubs were managing Shaw’s availability. He chose to pinch-hit once the hand and wrist discomfort lingered, and the club waited to see whether it would improve overnight. When it did not, the team shifted from monitoring to roster management.

From here, the key question is how quickly Shaw can return to normal hand usage, particularly given the sprain label. The Cubs will also be watching how the organization bridges Roberts’ absence, both in terms of bullpen usage and whether the timing of his return affects late-inning leverage options.

With two players on the IL, the upcoming games will reveal how Chicago balances opportunity across remaining position depth and pitching roles. If Shaw’s sprain resolves on the faster end of typical recovery for this kind of injury, the Cubs can stabilize their lineup sooner than if the soreness lingers into additional weeks.