Cubs’ Backup 1B Solution May Be Found in Catching Trio
Tyler Austin‘s surprise injury at the beginning of spring training left the Cubs with only one true first baseman on the roster. The Cubs signed Austin to be a right-handed-hitting backup for Michael Busch, and presumably at DH, but Austin’s recent knee surgery has forced a change in plans.
The Cubs now need to figure out who their secondary first baseman will be to begin the 2026 season. Craig Counsell said that Austin’s surgery will cause him to miss “months,” meaning this will not be a brief absence. Busch isn’t just the only member of the big league roster with first base as his primary position, he’s just about the only one who plays there at all. That means Counsell may have to get creative with Opening Day just over two weeks away.
The three best options may all come from the catching trio of Carson Kelly, Miguel Amaya, and Moisés Ballesteros. Counsell will have his hands full trying to find playing time for all three, although Ballesteros should be the main designated hitter with little time coming behind the plate. Nonetheless, having a timeshare at first base when Busch needs days off would not be the worst idea.
Cubs Miguel Amaya has been taking some infield at first base in case he is needed there. Amaya told me he played and practiced the position a lot in the minor leagues.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) February 26, 2026
Bruce Levine reported that Amaya started taking reps at first base after Austin’s injury, making him one of the prime candidates to fulfill the backup role. Amaya has some experience there in the minors, even if it was just 37 games, and being a right-handed hitter means he’d generally only be needed there against tough lefties. Putting Amaya at first base would also present an opportunity for all three catchers to be in the lineup on the same day.
Ballesteros has played a few games at first base during his minor league career, and the Cubs will want to maintain as much positional flexibility as possible to keep his bat in the lineup. Being a lefty batter means he’d likely only spell Busch in an emergency or as a replacement late in lopsided games, but having a little depth is never a bad thing.
Other internal options to serve as Busch’s backup include veteran outfielder Michael Conforto and No. 7 prospect Jonathon Long. Conforto was signed after Austin’s injury announcement and could be someone the Cubs experiment with throughout the rest of spring training. Long, who had to back out of the World Baseball Classic due to a bruised elbow, feels like the least likely of these options.
He is one of the best prospects in the team’s farm system, with a 131 wRC+ and 20 home runs across 140 games in Triple-A during the 2025 campaign, and the Cubs may want to give him everyday at-bats in Iowa until he can be used more regularly in Chicago. Although the injury may and other roster considerations could prevent him from making the team out of spring training, he is a name to watch as the season progresses.
An important thing to note here is that, unlike last year, Busch should see more time against left-handed pitchers. He had only 95 plate appearances against southpaws in 2025 after getting 100 the previous season, but his emergence as one of the best-hitting first basemen in the game means he has earned a chance to prove himself further. That means there will be even less playing time for whoever backs him up, which is a big reason why Long does not make much sense. Conversely, using one of the catchers fits because they are already on the roster at a different position.
Having a plethora of options is something Jed Hoyer and the Cubs love when building their roster. This first base “dilemma” gives them plenty of choices and could give Counsell a little more flexibility when trying to find at-bats for a number of young players.
