Cubs to call up outfield prospect Owen Caissie ahead of series finale: Sources

TORONTO — The Chicago Cubs are calling up prospect Owen Caissie ahead of their series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, league sources confirmed to The Athletic. News of the promotion of the left-handed, power-hitting outfielder was first reported by ESPN.

The 23-year-old Caissie has been tearing up Triple A this season, slugging 22 homers and posting a strong 145 wRC+. Caissie has played the majority of his games in right field, but also has some time in left field. While he isn’t known for his glove, he’s steadily improved in the area over the last two years.

The knock on Caissie has always been his swing and miss. This season, he has a 28 percent strikeout rate in 400 plate appearances with Iowa. However, he counteracts that with his elite power and strong walk rate. That said, over his last 36 games, Caissie’s strikeout rate has dipped to below 20 percent, his walk rate has stayed high at 14.1 percent, and his overall offensive numbers have shot through the roof.

During this span, Caissie has slashed .341/.436/.689 to go along with 12 homers and 10 doubles.

Catcher Miguel Amaya had just returned from a nearly 12-week absence on Tuesday, but in Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over the Blue Jays, he was carted off the field after badly spraining his ankle and will require a stint on the injured list. Caissie will be called up to take his spot on the roster, and can potentially give a boost to an offense that’s found itself in a bit of a rut of late after performing like one of the sport’s best lineups in the season’s first half.

If Caissie makes his big-league debut on Thursday, he will do so not far from where he grew up. The youngster went to high school at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School in Burlington, Ontario, about a 45-minute drive from the Rogers Centre.

Caissie was drafted out of high school by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 2020 draft. The following winter, the Padres traded Caissie to the Cubs with three other prospects and pitcher Zach Davies for pitcher Yu Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini.

(Photo: USA Today)