Unless it unexpectedly develops into a more serious injury, however, Shaw is still the front-runner at third base. He’s in his fourth or fifth day of recovery, Counsell estimated, after hurting his oblique on a swing in the batting cages this week.

Cubs are eager to change that. And in an NL Central division that appears up for grabs, it’s about time that Chicago steps forward as a clear-cut contender, rather than merely a wait-and-see team. After a busy offseason that featured both a huge acquisition in Kyle Tucker and the failed pursuit of another star in Alex Bregman,