Cubs call-up .906 OPS outfielder, DFA veteran infielder amid six-game losing streak originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Cubs are having a bit of a rough go of things lately. Despite their early success, the Cubs have dropped six straight games to fall to 29-22 on the year.
Now, the Cubs are 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers at the top of the NL Central, and one of the main reasons for their struggles has been the lackluster offensive performances recently.
Amid such struggles, the Cubs have announced a roster move, where they DFA’d veteran infielder Nicky Lopez and called up top prospect and 23-year-old outfielder Kevin Alcantara to the big league roster.
Cubs call up Kevin Alcantara to MLB roster
“Roster Update: Kevin Alcantara: recalled from Triple-A Iowa. Nicky Lopez: designated for assignment,” the Cubs announced Saturday morning.
Chicago’s offense has scored four runs in its last three games, and dating back to May ninth, it was shut out twice and failed to score more than three runs 10 times out of 12 games.
Lopez wasn’t much of a factor, getting only five at-bats, though he went 0-for-5 in those opportunities. Taking his spot on the MLB roster is Alcantara, the 23-year-old top prospect.
This season at Triple-A, Alcantara has a .906 OPS with a .242 batting average, 15 homers, 32 RBIs, and three stolen bases.
MORE: Chase Burns becomes first Reds pitcher with elite stat line since 1922
He’s been a solid player in his minor league career, with an .814 OPS across 2,056 at-bats since his professional debut back in 2019.
Now, he’s being promoted to the Majors for the third time, as he posted a .200 OPS in 10 at-bats back in 2024, and a .781 OPS in 11 at-bats in 2025.
Hopefully for the Cubs, Alcantara will provide a spark to the stagnant offense, which has helped make the Cubs lose six straight games and 10 of their last 12 games.
His fit in the lineup will be interesting, as the Cubs already have a solid trio of outfielders in Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Seiya Suzuki.
Moises Ballesteros and Michael Conforto also reside at designated hitter, so seeing how Craig Counsell uses Alcantara will be very interesting.
