Chicago Cubs DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (hamstring) threw a bullpen session of around 25 pitches and went through running/fielding drills on Wednesday, according to MLB.com. He will repeat a similar workout this weekend as he recovers from a strained left hamstring that landed him on the 15-day injured list on May 5. It's been a slow build-up for the 31-year-old Japanese left-hander, but barring a setback, Imanaga should be ready to return to Chicago's starting rotation by mid-June. Because of his long layoff at this point, fantasy managers should expect him to make at least several minor-league rehab starts before returning to the majors. When healthy, Imanaga is a must-start fantasy hurler. In his second season in the big leagues, he went 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and 14 walks in 44 2/3 frames over his eight starts before injuring his hamstring.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong went 1-for-3 on Wednesday night against the Rockies, and his home run in the fourth inning proved to be the difference in the team's 2-1 win. Crow-Armstrong's home run came off Tanner Gordon on a pitch that was low and out of the zone, but PCA still managed to golf it over the right-field wall. The 23-year-old lefty has 15 homers, 16 stolen bases, a .275 batting average, and a .369 wOBA. He has been one of the breakout fantasy baseball stars of the first few months of the season and is a must-play in all formats due to his versatile and consistent contributions.

Chicago Cubs catching prospect Moises Ballesteros went 1-for-3 with his fifth home run of the season on Wednesday for Triple-A Iowa. The 21-year-old was unstoppable before being called up for a brief stint in the majors and was optioned back to Iowa on May 20. Over the first four games back at Triple-A, the left-handed hitter went 2-for-17, but it seems the bat is waking back up this week, going 4-for-7 over the last two days, including a double on Tuesday and Wednesday's home run. The Cubs' backup catcher, Miguel Amaya, hit the injured list this past Sunday and is expected to be out 4-6 weeks, but instead of recalling Ballesteros, the team brought up Reese McGuire (who promptly hit two home runs in his first game after recall). McGuire is a veteran, so perhaps the first-place club is looking for some stability behind the plate to back up Carson Kelly, but Ballesteros should be back in the majors at some point later this season and could be a viable stash in two-catcher and NL-only leagues (again).

Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw turned in a productive night in his team's 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies in 11 innings on Tuesday. Shaw went 2-for-5 with two walks, a run, an RBI, and two steals in the extra-innings win. The rookie infielder continued his early trend of showing a good eye and providing speed on the basepaths as he now has 13 walks and four steals across 89 at-bats this season. Shaw is one of Chicago's top prospects and has the potential to be an impact bat in the majors, making him an interesting corner infielder in deeper fantasy leagues.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (oblique) was placed on the injured list on Sunday. He underwent an MRI which confirmed Amaya suffered a left oblique strain. Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters that Amaya is likely going to be sidelined 4-6 weeks. That means, Amaya is likely out until around the All-Star break. It doesn't sound like Moises Ballesteros is quite ready to start behind the plate at the big league level. That being said, Carson Kelly and Reese McGuire will split up the playing time behind the plate in Chicago. Kelly has slowed down since his hot start to the season, but he's still worth rostering in two-catcher formats. McGuire doesn't have great upside, but he had a two-homer game during his first contest with the Cubs.