The Cubs will option catcher/designated hitter Moisés Ballesteros to Triple-A Iowa today, as first indicated on the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation reports that outfielder Justin Dean will be recalled in his place.
Ballesteros, 23, was a consensus top prospect before arriving in the majors. He torched Triple-A pitching as a 22-year-old in 2025 (.316/.385/.473) and kept that momentum rolling in his first 66 big league plate appearances late last year (.298/.394/.474). “Mo Baller” raced out to a torrid start to begin his official rookie campaign in 2026, hitting .387/.435/.710 through April 27, but his bat has tanked since.
Over Ballesteros’ past 106 plate appearances, Ballesteros has slumped to a dismal .128/.217/.170 slash. He’s not striking out at an exorbitant level (22.6%) and is still drawing walks at a strong 10.4% clip, but Ballesteros has put 51% of his batted balls on the ground and popped up four times. He was sporting a 40.7% grounder rate and didn’t pop up once prior to this current slump.
The Cubs’ offensive woes extend well beyond Ballesteros’ suddenly frosty bat. Chicago ranks 26th in the majors with only 98 runs scored over the past 30 days. Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson, Carson Kelly and Michael Conforto have struggled just as much, if not more than Ballesteros in that time but can’t be sent down due to their veteran status. The Cubs will hope that a reset in Des Moines can get Ballesteros back on track and back to the form he showed through his first 130 big league plate appearances, dating back to last season.
Beyond getting Ballesteros back on track in the batter’s box, there are other potential development issues to consider. The Cubs have used the promising young slugger at designated hitter 47 times this season, compared to just eight games behind the plate. If the Cubs want Ballesteros to shoulder even a part-time load behind the dish in future seasons, it’d behoove them to get him more regular work at the position. A reset in Triple-A affords him that possibility, too.
There are potential service time ramifications, though they’re not likely to come into play. Ballesteros is currently 56 days shy of a full year of service. As long as he’s back in the majors for eight total weeks between now and season’s end, he’ll still reach a full year of service. It’s doubtful the Cubs plan to keep Ballesteros in the minors until mid-to-late August, but if he struggles considerably in Iowa or incurs an injury there, it’s at least possible this demotion could push his path to free agency back by a year.
Dean, 29, will be making his Cubs debut whenever he takes the field. Chicago claimed him off waivers from the Giants (who’d claimed him from the Dodgers) back in January. A former 17th-round pick, Dean is a fleet-footed fourth outfield type who draws plenty of walks but is light on power and typically runs high strikeout rates.
Dean isn’t going to take over regular DH work for Ballesteros and will probably serve as a conventional pinch-running/defensive replacement late in games while backing up Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki in the outfield. With Ballesteros being sent down, 22-year-old Pedro Ramirez could see an uptick in playing time. The Cubs could also look to give Conforto more frequent at-bats, hoping that consistent playing time will help him trend toward the .345/.456/.655 line he posted in 68 plate appearances through mid-May.
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