2 Cubs players who could start stealing playing time from struggling Dansby Swanson

The Chicago Cubs picked up their MLB-leading ninth walk-off win on Monday night, but don't let that fool you. Despite the win, the team was, once again, abysmal with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-10 in such spots and leaving 15 men on base.

Craig Counsell's recent attempt to re-set Dansby Swanson does not seem to have done anything to get the Gold Glove infielder back on track at the plate, though, evidenced by a .136/.240/.182 slash line and 36 percent strikeout rate dating back to June 9.

He's hardly the team's only struggling bat (Nico Hoerner has been awful for more than a month, as well) - and this could open the door for a pair of bench players to play a larger role as we head into the summer.

2 Cubs who could force their way into the everyday mix very soon

Matt Shaw

Finding ways to fold Matt Shaw into the Cubs' starting lineup is very easy given his defensive versatility. Counsell was up front about his plans of getting the former first-rounder 'more involved' during this homestand, which could mean a variety of things.

He could spell Swanson or Hoerner up the middle - but will also likely see time in the outfield, especially with the team proceeding with some degree of caution when it comes to Seiya Suzuki and his knee injury. Earlier in the year, you might have just plugged in Michael Conforto, but he's been a total liability at the plate for more than a month now.

In 113 plate appearances this year, Shaw made real improvements at the plate and has been solidly above-average in terms of both whiff rates and strikeout rate. Given the Cubs' struggles to manufacture offense, I like having someone who can, at the very least, put the ball in play to turn to when I want to shake things up.

Pedro Ramirez

Granted, it's been in limited action, but there has been a lot to like about Pedro Ramirez, who stepped up and played hero late in Monday's game, going 2-for-2 with an RBI off the bench. His Baseball Savant page tells a story fans will love: he controls the zone well and is getting results to match.

As a rookie, Ramirez rarely looks overmatched at the plate and is slashing .350/.409/.550 since June 5. Talk about trending up. Counsell needs to find a way to get him into the mix more often and benching Swanson and sliding Hoerner over to short (or going with Shaw there) gives him the opportunity to do just that and see just how far his hot bat can carry the Cubs.

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