Chicago Cubs: David Bote gets the call

After Ben Zobrist was officially put on the DL due to back tightness, the Chicago Cubs filled their roster spot with David Bote. He will also be playing tonight against the Rockies.

The Chicago Cubs have called up utility man David Bote from Triple-A Iowa today to fill Ben Zobrist‘s spot on the roster. Bote, 25, will be making his MLB debut this evening in Colorado as he is slated to start at third base and bat eighth. Kris Bryant will be playing in right field.

Like Zobrist, Bote is a utility man that can play in the infield and outfield. He caught the attention of a number of Cubs fans in spring training this year when he slashed .269/.339/.442 with a home run and eight RBI in 24 games. While he is not a highly-touted prospect, he can prove to be a decent fill-in in times like this.

Bote will be making his MLB debut in the same stadium the red-hot Javier Baez made his in 2014. Tonight’s game will be an entirely right-handed lineup against the Colorado lefty Tyler Anderson.

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David Bote’s year so far

After his solid showing in spring, Bote has played in 12 games with the Iowa Cubs. So far he is slashing .234/.265/.511 with three home runs. He has struck out 10 times and has only walked twice, but the sample size is small. He is a career .261/.350/.403 hitter in the minors going back to 2013.

Unless there are other injuries, expect Bote to return to Iowa when Zobrist comes back. This is still a huge opportunity for the 25-year old as he can prove useful in his time up. It may not play out like Ian Happ last year, but it gives the club some insurance depth available if needed. Hitting in Colorado can hopefully help him a bit.

Next: Alzolay dominates in Triple-A Iowa debut

Tonight’s game will mark the third-straight time Albert Almora Jr. and Baez hit at the top. So far it had worked great and hopefully, Joe Maddon can continue going with it while it works.