Cubs Prospect Notes: Alcántara Struck By Line Drive, Mervis Keeps Merving, Davis Hot, Franklin, Devers, Wicks, More

I feel like the Cubs always have big/fun/important stuff happening down on the farm on Friday nights. I think this is the third straight Saturday morning where I woke up and I was like, you know, I need to share this stuff …

  • One newsy bit first, as outfield prospect Kevin Alcántara left last night’s Myrtle Beach Pelicans game after being hit in the face by a line drive in center field.
  • I watched the play, and it’s impossible to tell on the feed exactly what happened. Alcántara was lining up to make the catch, and somehow the ball just got past his glove, and then he went down. He was down for several minutes before leaving with the trainer. The potentially good news is that, as the broadcast showed a closeup of him walking off the field, I didn’t see any blood or obvious severe damage. Alcántara was kind of stretching his jaw out and spitting, so I suspect the ball popped him right in the mouth. That said, it was quite a liner, and he was down a long time, so I think there are still plenty of reasons to be concerned. Hopefully it’s not a concussion, and there are no breaks.
  • Alcántara, who just turned 20, has been closing the season strong, with a really good last month or so at the plate. Ditto his teammate, James Triantos, while we’re on it. Been scorching the ball the last month, including two last night that were caught deep.
  • Matt Mervis, who is ridiculous, played hero last night after thumping another homer over the roof in Columbus:
  • Brennen Davis reached base all five times in that one, with a couple singles, a couple walks, and another HBP (omg seriously stop hitting him). It’s funny that his three games back at Triple-A have been good enough to drag his season line up to .212/.327/.341/82 wRC+ from where it was before the surgery (.195/.286/.299/58 wRC+). A reminder mostly of just how little he’s been able to play so far this year. Keep finishing strong, Brennen.
  • I love seeing multiple Kevin Made highlights from a single game:
  • Kohl Franklin was dominant in the start in that one, which he’s now done a few times lately. You hope it’s a corner turning, but the clunkers are still prevalent enough that I go back and forth on whether the raw stuff is enough to get him a 40-man spot after this season (i.e., would another team REALLY take him in the Rule 5 Draft and try to stash in their big league bullpen a guy whose upside is tremendous, but whose current performance is rougghhhhh at High-A?). I think there’s a bright future there for Franklin, but I also think it might be further away than we’d like. Maybe he’ll put together a brilliant final few starts and make the decision easier or something.
  • Thoughts from Bryan on another tough 40-man decision involving a starter at High-A South Bend:
  • Jordan Wicks! Thank goodness he returned this year after that scary departure a few weeks ago. He made a short start for Tennessee, throwing three scoreless (one hit, no walks, three strikeouts) innings over 38 pitches.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Pete Crow-Armstrong’s First Big League Hit is a GO-AHEAD HOME RUN!

    Boy did he need that! The Chicago Cubs top prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, was called up this season not because he was quite ready offensively, but out of necessity after multiple injuries to the Cubs starting outfielders. And, predictably, he looked...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Old Friend Dan Straily

    I knew Dan Straily was pitching in Korea, and I knew there was a time in relatively recent memory that he was trying to come back to MLB. But sometime between then and now, he fell off my radar as...

    Pre-Gamin’: Astros at Cubs (1:20 CT) – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — The Cubs won again last night, which means they've already won the season-series against the still-struggling Astros. Justin Verlander will be on the bump for today's finale, but he'll have to go up against the mighty Javier...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 25, 2024: Brennen Davis Homers in His Return to Triple-A

    Brennen Davis made his return to Triple-A last night, and of course, he managed to smack a three-run home run in an 8-2 win for the Iowa Cubs. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

    The Leadoff Role, Cubs Front Office is Not Particularly Well-Liked? And Other Cubs Bullets

    It's a pretty big day for the Chicago Bears, eh? For the second year in a row, they own the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Only this time, they actually plan to use it (and on a quarterback,...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Brazilian-Japanese Pitcher Daniel Missaki Out of Mexican League

    That's a geographic mouthful right there, and it underscores what an interesting signing this is. Stray signings throughout the year are not uncommon, particularly as injuries accumulate down on the farm and the Chicago Cubs have the ability to take...

    Do the Cubs Have a Scoring-Late Problem?

    Once a month since August of 2016, my friends and I get together for "Supper Club." It's like book club, but instead of reading books, we go to a different restaurant in the city. Last night, we hit our 77th...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 4, Astros 3 – April 24, 2024

    The Cubs did all their scoring in the first, and made it stand up for the win with generally good pitching and generally good defense. Jameson Taillon looked solid again in his second start, locating well, giving up no barrels,...

    Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

    For the second straight night, the Cubs are jumping all over the Astros in the first inning. After a couple hits from Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to get things going, Michael Busch hit a sac fly, Christopher Morel walked,...

    Welcome Back to Iowa, Brennen Davis: Rocket Homer in His First Game Post-Rehab

    What a road it's been - continues to be - for Cubs outfield prospect Brennen Davis. The former top prospect was on a rocket ship to Triple-A in 2021, and then mostly lost the last two years to various injuries....

    Latest News

    Final 2024 Mock Draft: If I’m Going to be Wrong, I’m Going to be Wrong My Way

    It's the final NFL Mock Draft of the season, and I'm looking forward to the real thing. All my bets are in the newsletters from the past couple of days. Quite a few changes from yesterday's mock draft. Mock Draft...

    Pete Crow-Armstrong’s First Big League Hit is a GO-AHEAD HOME RUN!

    Boy did he need that! The Chicago Cubs top prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, was called up this season not because he was quite ready offensively, but out of necessity after multiple injuries to the Cubs starting outfielders. And, predictably, he looked...

    LeBron James Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Los Angeles Lakers meet the Denver Nuggets at 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this clash requires two trifectas from LeBron...

    D’Angelo Russell Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    D'Angelo Russell must make four 3-pointers to beat his prop when the Los Angeles Lakers play the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at 10:00 PM ET, in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs.D'Angelo Russell's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...

    Michael Porter Jr. Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, Michael Porter Jr. must make three from downtown on Thursday, when his Denver Nuggets face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, tipping off at 10:00 PM...

    Jamal Murray Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    On Thursday at 10:00 PM ET, the Denver Nuggets face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and Jamal Murray's 3-pointer prop for this clash requires three treys.Jamal Murray's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...

    Nikola Jokic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets meet the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday at 10:00 PM ET in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point over/under, he needs to make two from downtown.Nikola Jokic's...

    Anthony Davis Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Los Angeles Lakers play the Denver Nuggets at 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer props available for this clash requires just one trey from...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Old Friend Dan Straily

    I knew Dan Straily was pitching in Korea, and I knew there was a time in relatively recent memory that he was trying to come back to MLB. But sometime between then and now, he fell off my radar as...

    Oh? The Rams Reportedly Want to Trade into the Top 10 of the 2024 NFL Draft

    If you're looking for chaos on NFL Draft day, you just might get it. And leave it to the script-writers to get a team out in Hollywood involved. Here is a scoop from The Athletic's Dianna Russini, who hears the...

    more cubs news