Opening Day is approaching for the Chicago Cubs a whole lot quicker than it is for the rest of the league.
The Cubs will face the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for a two-game set in Japan on March 18 before returning back to the United States to finish off spring training for another week to prepare for domestic Opening Day on March 27 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After an exciting offseason, there were numerous questions and storylines fans have been tracking throughout spring training, but one hangs high above the rest. The status of top prospect and presumptive Opening Day starter Matt Shaw was the most significant thing to keep an eye on as the spring began, but things got off to a rocky start.
Shaw was dealing with an oblique injury which was serious enough to hold him out temporarily, and in a camp where he needed to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was ready to take over the job, any kind of delay was never going to do him any favors.
While the youngster has been downright sensational since being inserted into the lineup for exhibition games, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports Chicago is still uncertain of what their plans are.
Interestingly, it was also reported the Cubs are bringing Rule 5 selection Gage Workman as well as Vidal Bruján with them to Japan, both options to fill the third base role.
What always felt the most likely once Shaw got injured was him making his return in time to be in the lineup when the team heads out West to Arizona, but asking him to be ready to go on a long international trip to make his MLB debut a week ahead of schedule while already having lost time was a tall order.
The fact Chicago has not made a final decision yet even given all of those factors speaks volumes about how they feel about Shaw and how he can help the team win from the moment he steps onto a Major League field for the first time.
There's no doubt Shaw is pushing hard to make the trip with the players who are about to be his everyday teammates, and if the Cubs do feel he is ready than there's no reason they shouldn't take him.
With that being said, rushing him along and not giving him the full spring to prepare for his first MLB season does not benefit anyone, player or team.
Regardless of whether or not he makes the trip internationally, Shaw has made a definitive statement this spring that he is coming sooner rather than later.
It won't be long until it's revealed exactly when that's going to be.
