Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (oblique) has resumed normal batting practice, catching bullpen sessions and throwing but is "not close" to game action yet, according to manager Craig Counsell. Amaya is recovering from a strained left oblique and will not come off the 10-day injured list before the All-Star break. However, if the 26-year-old continues to make progress and is able to go on a minor-league rehab assignment sooner than later, he could be ready to rejoin the Cubs as their primary backstop early in the second half of the season, which begins on July 18. In the meantime, Carson Kelly will draw the majority of starts behind the plate in Chicago. Kelly is having a fine first season on the North Side, hitting .267 (46-for-172) with nine homers and 29 RBI. He enters Wednesday's action riding a modest four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 6-for-13 with three doubles, three RBI and two runs scored.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (oblique) has begun hitting and throwing and is targeting a return date around the All-Star break, reports Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network. The 26-year-old has been on the injured list since May 24 with a strained left oblique, which is typically a tricky injury to come back from. The fact that he's throwing and hitting without issue is a good sign, and he could be on the verge of a rehab assignment within the next couple of weeks. There was a brief time at the beginning of the season when he looked like the go-to option behind the dish for the Cubs, but Carson Kelly's offensive success relegated Amaya to playing every other day, at most.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (oblique) was cleared to begin a throwing program Friday, MLB.com reports. Amaya appears to have started the process of ramping up again after a left oblique strain had kept him from throwing since May 24. The Cubs anticipate that Amaya will be able to return from the injured list before the All-Star break. However, an exact target date may not be finalized until the next steps in his recovery rehab process are identified. While Amaya has been out, Carson Kelly and Reese McGuire have been splitting time behind the plate for the Cubs. Before the injury, Amaya held a .280/.313/.505 slash line with four home runs, 14 runs scored, and 25 RBI. Amaya is not worth a stash in most redraft formats; fantasy managers in redraft leagues with only one catcher spot can drop him to the waiver wire.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (oblique) was placed on the injured list on Sunday. He underwent an MRI which confirmed Amaya suffered a left oblique strain. Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters that Amaya is likely going to be sidelined 4-6 weeks. That means, Amaya is likely out until around the All-Star break. It doesn't sound like Moises Ballesteros is quite ready to start behind the plate at the big league level. That being said, Carson Kelly and Reese McGuire will split up the playing time behind the plate in Chicago. Kelly has slowed down since his hot start to the season, but he's still worth rostering in two-catcher formats. McGuire doesn't have great upside, but he had a two-homer game during his first contest with the Cubs.

Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that catcher Miguel Amaya (oblique) will land on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique and will get imaging done in Chicago this week. In a corresponding move, the Cubs recalled catch Reese McGuire from Triple-A Iowa, and he's in the starting lineup on Sunday while hitting ninth against Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo with Carson Kelly (illness) out sick. Amaya was injured in Saturday's 6-4 loss and might not be able to return from the IL when he's eligible on June 4. Kelly is going to see the lion's share of the playing time behind the dish in Chicago until Amaya is ready to return. The 26-year-old Amaya hasn't displayed a ton of power (only four homers), but he's been valuable in fantasy leagues at the weak catching position with a .286 average (26-for-91) with 25 RBI and 14 runs scored.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (undisclosed) was forced to exit early during Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. Amaya was taken out of the contest after attempting to throw out Elly De La Cruz on a steal attempt. There is no official word on the injury yet, but it does sound like an oblique strain. That being said, Amaya is probably headed towards a stint on the injured list. If that happens, Carson Kelly would probably take over as the primary catcher. Also, Moises Ballesteros would probably be recalled and get a chance behind the plate in Chicago. Fantasy managers should check back for another update, but the loss of Amaya would give Kelly a boost in fantasy value.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and five RBI on Monday night, but it wasn't quite enough to push his team to the win. The Marlins scored a pair of runs in the ninth off Daniel Palencia to spoil Amaya's big game, but the catcher's performance was still encouraging for his fantasy managers. Amaya had a home run and a double for six total bases and now has 25 RBI in his 25 games. He's hitting .287 with a .241 ISO and .364 wOBA. The 26-year-old righty continues to split time behind the plate with veteran Carson Kelly, but he has made the most of his opportunities and can be a DFS or streaming option whenever he is in the lineup. If he gets more playing time as the season progresses, he'll also be worth a look in mixed leagues.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya is not in the starting lineup when the Cubs continue a series against the San Diego Padres on Saturday afternoon. Instead, Carson Kelly will be behind the dish and bat in the nine-hole. Amaya has been given the starting nod in six of their first 10 regular-season contests. During the start of the season, Amaya has held a .250/.250/.417 line with four doubles (six hits) and seven RBI. Fantasy managers should expect Amaya to return to the starting nine on Sunday afternoon. Kelly has enjoyed an impressive start to his Cubs tenure. On March 31, the veteran backstop hit for the cycle and brought in five RBI. This afternoon, Kelly will have a tough matchup against San Diego right-hander Nick Pivetta, who did not allow a run in his first outing of the campaign.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya will head to the bench ahead of Friday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is an interesting decision after Amaya delivered two hits and collected five RBI during the team's win on Thursday. It appears the 26-year-old is going to really split time behind the plate this season. Carson Kelly will do the catching and bat ninth against right-hander Merrill Kelly on Friday. Neither catcher is likely going to be able to provide reliable fantasy value, assuming they continue to split up the time behind the plate.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya drove in five runs in the Cubs' first win of the season on Thursday night, going 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles. He had a three-run double in the fifth inning and a two-run double in the ninth inning, and his five RBI were exactly half of the team's 10-run total as their offense woke up after struggling in the Tokyo Series. Amaya is 3-for-8 (.375) in his two games this season and is expected to split work behind the plate with Carson Kelly. If he hits like this, he could get the majority of the work and emerge as a strong option in NL-only leagues. He hit .271 with a .328 wOBA after the All-Star break last season and will look to continue to emerge as a fantasy option behind the plate as the season goes on.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya could lose playing time in 2025 after the club added veteran Carson Kelly at the position this offseason to give manager Craig Counsell flexibility to distribute playing time more evenly, as opposed to a traditional starter-backup setup, according to MLB.com. Amaya turns 26 in March and posted a nice .760 OPS in the second half in 2024, but he also hit just .163 with a .463 OPS against left-handed pitching and has room to grow as an everyday catcher. Meanwhile, Kelly hit .302 with an .807 OPS in 49 plate appearances against lefties last year. "Look, Miguel showed at times last year, he deserves and he should be the guy," Counsell said. "And other times he's shown us he needs a break. And so I think Miguel is going to still have the opportunity to be a guy that is a regular contributor." Those expecting Amaya to take the next step in 2025 might want to temper expectations.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. This appears to be a regular rest day for Amaya, who smacked a home run during Sunday's game. In his absence, Christian Bethancourt will be behind the plate and bat eighth versus right-hander Aaron Nola. Bethancourt has been great during his short period with the Cubs. Through 22 games, Bethancourt is hitting .306 with three home runs and 15 RBI on the North Side.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya will start Friday's contest on the bench at Wrigley Field against the Washington Nationals in the second game of a four-game series. Christian Bethancourt will do the catching for right-hander Jameson Taillon and will bat out of the nine-hole versus Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams. In his first full big-league season, Amaya has slashed .227/.286/.347 with a below-average .633 OPS, seven home runs, 43 RBI, 29 runs scored, 22 walks and 60 strikeouts in 111 games played and 341 trips to the plate. The long season has apparently worn him down, too, as he's gone 5-for-37 (.135) with a double, triple, six RBI and five strikeouts in 15 games in the final month of the regular season. DFS gamers should be able to find better sleeper options at catcher than Bethancourt, who has hit .203 (26-for-128) on the year with five homers and 22 RBI.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Isaac Paredes and catcher Miguel Amaya are not in the starting nine on Saturday afternoon as the Cubs continue a three-game set against the New York Yankees. The third baseman is in the midst of a rough 2-for-17 slide since the start of the month, while Amaya has tallied just one hit since September 1. As a result, Patrick Wisdom will cover the hot corner and bat in the eight-hole, and Christian Bethancourt will be behind the dish batting ninth. Fantasy managers should expect Paredes and Amaya to return to the starting nine tomorrow as they are scheduled to face Yankee ace, Gerrit Cole. Both Wisdom and Bethancourt could be sneaky plays in DFS this afternoon as they will face Clarke Schmidt who will be making his return to the mound after not pitching since May due to a strained lat.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya had a great day at the plate Monday as his team blew out the Pittsburgh Pirates 18-8. Amaya, batting from the nine spot in the order, went 4-for-5 with two doubles and four RBI. The 25-year-old has been a productive hitting catcher for the Cubs all season but has really taken his game to the next level as of late. Since the All-Star break, Amaya is slashing .342/.381/.570 with four homers and 17 RBI over 26 games. Amaya has hit well enough recently to be considered adding in two-catcher or deep-league formats.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya had a big night at the plate on Thursday, going 3-for-4 with a grand slam in a 10-2 clobbering of the Detroit Tigers. Amaya also smacked an RBI single later in the game to bring his total RBI's to five. The backstop is now slashing .221/.277/.333 with 20 runs, six homers, and 29 RBI in 249 at-bats on the season. Needless to say, this game is an anomaly for Amaya, who doesn't need to be rostered in any fantasy leagues. Nevertheless, this was an excellent game for the 25-year-old.

Chicago Cubs catching prospect Miguel Amaya is not in Friday's lineup as the Cubs and Cardinals will face off for the second game of a four-game set. Amaya got the starting nod on Thursday evening for the opening game of the series. Across his past five games, the young backstop has tallied only one hit but posted a seven-game hitting streak prior to this cold stretch. As a result, Christian Bethancourt will slot in behind the dish and catch for Javier Assad. With Tomas Nido (knee) sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Amaya and Bethancourt to split catching duties in the Northside, with Amaya getting a slight majority. Bethancourt is best to leave out of your DFS lineup this afternoon as he will face right-hander Erick Fedde who will make his St. Louis debut. He performed quite well with the White Sox earlier this season, carrying a solid 3.11 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.

Chicago Cubs rookie catcher Miguel Amaya will draw the start behind the plate on Friday to catch left-hander Justin Steele, and he'll bat ninth in the lineup against St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty. Yan Gomes will serve as the designated hitter and bat seventh. Amaya has essentially become the Cubs' No. 2 catcher over Tucker Barnhart, and he's hitting .271 (19-for-70) with two home runs, four doubles, 13 RBI and 10 runs scored in his first 26 big-league games over 86 plate appearances. The 24-year-old has little DFS appeal at the bottom of Chicago's order, though, and he's still only worth considering in deep two-catcher fantasy leagues.

Chicago Cubs rookie catcher Miguel Amaya (hand) is out of the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This is a bit concerning after Amaya was hit by a pitch in the hand during Sunday's game. It's possible the Cubs are just giving Amaya an extra day to rest. Fantasy managers should stay tuned for more news in case Amaya does end up going to the injured list. Yan Gomes will do the catching and bat eighth versus right-hander Osvaldo Bido on Monday.

Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya put together a strong performance at the plate during Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres. The 24-year-old went 3-for-3 and blasted his first career home run in the 7-1 victory. Amaya crushed a 415-foot two-run blast off right-hander Drew Carlton in the third inning to make it 7-0. He drew the start at designated hitter, while Yan Gomes did the catching. The Cubs could put Amaya there more often, assuming he keeps hitting like this. The hope is that Amaya can be the Cubs catcher of the future, but injuries have held him back. He appears healthy now, so we'll see what he can do.