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Owen Caissie went hitless in his big-league debut on Thursday in Toronto, but put together some quality at-bats and looked solid enough for a guy getting his first taste of MLB pitching (especially considering the Blue Jays' starter was future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer).
So nobody seemed to worry too much about the 0-for-4 in the box score. But when the Chicago Cubs returned home on Friday to face the Pittsburgh Pirates, Caissie wasn't in the lineup. OK, maybe he doesn't need to play every day as he adjusts to the new routine, surroundings, etc. But when manager Craig Counsell opted not to start him on Saturday, either, Cubs fans didn't react well.
Calling up Owen Caissie just to make him ride the bench while the other outfielders can’t hit a baseball is a hilarious bit by Craig Counsell pic.twitter.com/7OiXzt7fit
— Cubs Insider (@realcubsinsider) August 16, 2025
Two far different prospects, yes, but Alex Canario’s initial experience should’ve prepped you for Owen Caissie’s.
— Jordan Campbell (@JCampbellMLB) August 16, 2025
Owen Caissie has been on an absolute heater
— Antonio (@TheAntOrtiz) August 16, 2025
So naturally you call him up and have him ride the pine... This org is so dumb https://t.co/gM7BtnOHL6
Cubs fans want Owen Caissie in the lineup every day right now
That's just a sampling of the reactions that were all over when Saturday's lineup dropped, showing Counsell going with his usual trio of Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker in the outfield. PCA showed some major signs of life in Friday's loss, ninth-inning baserunning snafu aside, so hopefully he's poised to get things going again. The same can't be said for Tucker, who is slashing just .182/.344/.247 over the last 30 days.
The four-time All-Star served as the Cubs' DH on Friday, but he's back in right in the second game of the series instead of Caissie. So why is the Cubs' top prospect riding the pine again, especially with a right-hander starting for Pittsburgh for the second time in as many days? Well, that, actually, I can explain.
The Pirates' starter, 25-year-old Mike Burrows, carries reverse splits, with left-handed hitters batting just .214 against him this season, while righties are batting .254. Still, that's not enough of a reason to sit Caissie, in my opinion. You deemed him too valuable to trade at thet deadline - and the organization always claims it won't bring up prospects if they won't get regular ABs. They rarely deliver on that promise, though, as we've seen time and time again over the years.
Another rough showing from Tucker should lead to a day off for him on Sunday, especially with a doubleheader on Monday against Milwaukee. So, at least in theory we'll see Caissie on Sunday and in one of the three games played between Monday and Tuesday. But given how the offense continues to perform, there's no reason to not see if he can be the spark this Cubs team so desperately needs right now.