A follower asked me yesterday who would get the call from Iowa if Anthony Rizzo were to end up with an IL stint due to the back soreness that led to his exit yesterday. The answer is
probably Nick Martini, as he has the all-important 40-man spot, and would add an extra outfielder to allow for Kris Bryant to move temporarily to first base. But I need a paragraph to sell you on the other guy who certainly deserves a shot.
P.J. Higgins deserves a 40-man roster spot. He’s hitting .333/.458/.513, with a 164 wRC+ that leads the farm system by a country mile. Higgins would offer the big league team experience all over the infield, while providing a third catcher to the roster during his time up. He’s also really gone back to his core, which really speaks to what the Cubs are trying to do at the big league level lately: use the whole field. Among hitters in Triple-A with 40 plate appearances, Higgins is tied for the third-highest percentage of balls going to the opposite field at 50%. I’d love this guy to get a chance.