CINCINNATI (AP) — Reese McGuire added another milestone to what has been a hectic 10 days.
McGuire hit a home run in his first at-bat for the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.
The 30-year-old catcher was brought up from Triple-A Iowa and added to the 40-man roster after Miguel Amaya was placed on the injured list with a left oblique strain.
McGuire wasn’t originally in the starting lineup, but was a late addition after Carson Kelly was scratched due to illness.
“I’m a confident player, and always believe that I belong in this league,” McGuire said before the game. “So, I was ready with Triple-A for that opportunity down there to just make the most of the games that I’m in and continue to hone in my skills and be ready for moments like this and moments beyond.”
McGuire hit .280 with three homers and 19 RBIs in 22 games. He was released on May 16 to see if he could latch on to a big league roster, but he returned to the Cubs on a minor league deal on Thursday.
And now, he’s back in the majors. The Cubs are his fourth team. McGuire made his big league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018 before stops with the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox.
“I would expect him to once a series be in there and then as we start this stretch after the homestand when we have 26 in 27 days, there will probably be a little bit more because of the nature of the position,” manager Craig Counsell said about McGuire.
McGuire made an immediate contribution when he drove Nick Lodolo’s fastball just over the wall in right-center to get the Cubs within 4-3 in the second inning. It was his first homer in the majors since May 21 of last season when he was with Boston.
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