Cubs call up Caissie from Iowa for Thursday's series finale vs Jays

The Chicago Cubs have summoned outfielder Owen Caissie from Triple-A Iowa to join the club for Thursday’s series finale with the Toronto Blue Jays, in a move designed to inject power and depth into an offense that has cooled after a scorching first half. Caissie, 23, is a left-handed slugger who has driven the minor-league ball this season and will take the major-league field in place of catcher Miguel Amaya, who was placed on the 10-day injured list after suffering a badly sprained ankle.

Caissie’s call-up comes on the heels of a standout minor-league season in which he has demonstrated the power and athleticism that made him one of the Cubs’ top prospects. In Iowa this year, he has slashed roughly .291/.391/.567 with 22 home runs over about 400 plate appearances, underscoring the raw thunder in his left-handed swing. He has shown a powerful pull bias against left-handed pitching, but his production against right-handers is more balanced, and he has the ability to contribute across the outfield corners. While not celebrated for elite fielding, Caissie has improved steadily at the plate and in the outfield, logging most of his work in right field with some repetitions in left.