Cubs' Ian Happ Placed on IL with Oblique Injury, Moises Ballesteros to Make MLB Debut

Tuesday was a day of good news and bad news for the Chicago Cubs.

The bad news for the National League Central team is it announced it placed Ian Happ on the 10-day injured list because of a left oblique strain. However, the good news was that it called up highly regarded prospect Moisés Ballesteros in a corresponding move.

Chicago wasted little time with Ballesteros and placed him seventh in the lineup against the Miami Marlins:

Ballesteros is the Cubs' fourth-best prospect on MLB.com's rankings and is primarily known for his bat.

In fact, he is slashing .368/.420/.522 with four home runs and 18 RBI in 34 games for the Iowa Cubs this season. Chicago will likely rely on that bat more than anything he brings in the field, as he is a catcher and surely won't see much time with Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly each starting the season off well.

That will mean plenty of designated hitter opportunities while Seiya Suzuki moves from DH to left field with Happ sidelined.

For as promising as adding a bat like Ballesteros' is for the Cubs in the early going this season, the loss of Happ is a significant one. He is the everyday leadoff hitter who plays an impressive left field with three Gold Glove awards on his resume.

In 39 games this season, he is slashing .269/.364/.381 with three home runs and 19 RBI.

It is another injury to an important player for the Cubs, who will be without ace Justin Steele for the rest of the season because of an elbow injury and No. 2 starter Shōta Imanaga for the foreseeable future because of a hamstring injury. Pitcher Javier Assad is also sidelined because of an oblique injury.

To Chicago's credit, it is still in first place in the NL Central and one game ahead of the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals.

Perhaps Ballesteros will help keep it atop the division while Happ is out.