Cubs continue their game of musical chairs, recall Owen Caissie from Triple-A

I'd be far more excited about the Chicago Cubs recalling Owen Caissie from Triple-A Iowa if I had any hope that Craig Counsell would regularly utilize him, especially with Kyle Tucker sidelined by a calf injury and Seiya Suzuki coming off an illness that kept him out of Friday's win over Tampa Bay.

Regardless, Caissie is back with the big-league club, taking the spot of Kevin Alcantara, who heads back to the Cubs' top affiliate. He got all of seven plate appearances since getting the call two weeks ago and it's hard to envision Caissie being deployed in a more significant way down the stretch.

Cubs haven't prioritized regular ABs for Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcantara

In limited action with Chicago this year, Caissie has slashed .208/.240/.375 but, for the most part, there's been no regularity to his appearances. The strikeouts have been a problem, as expected, but it would still be nice to see him get a chance to play more often, at least until Tucker returns from the injured list.

In lieu of Alcantara or Caissie, Counsell has turned to veteran utilityman Willi Castro to fill voids in the Cubs' outfield, despite his woeful production since coming to Chicago at the trade deadline. In 27 contests, the 28-year-old is batting just .185/.250/.259. So, yes, his defensive versatility is nice, but he's been dead weight at the dish.

Caissie joins Moises Ballesteros on the Cubs' bench. Ballesteros had a big game as the team's designated hitter on Friday, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and his first career triple. Again, seeing how Counsell utilizes these two top prospects in the closing weeks of the season will be something we'll be keeping an eye on because you can easily make the case the Cubs, as currently constructed, are at their best when these guys are getting a chance to contribute on a daily basis.