Chicago Cubs Shift Catcher Rotation to Carson Kelly

The Chicago Cubs handed catcher Carson Kelly his third start in four games on Sunday, August 23, 2026, against the Seattle Mariners, signaling a clear shift in the team's behind-the-plate rotation.

Kelly batted ninth in the lineup while catching southpaw Matthew Boyd, as reported by CBS Sports and RotoWire. His increased playing time comes amid a strong August performance where he posted a .689 OPS, outpacing fellow catcher Miguel Amaya by 60 points during the month.

The move relegated Amaya to the bench for the third time in four games. The adjustment follows a slump for Amaya, who went 2-for-16 with a solo home run and a 2:6 walk-to-strikeout ratio across six games after driving in three runs against the Kansas City Royals on August 9.

Despite seeing his playing time rise earlier in the month—including starts in four out of six games prior to a mid-week matchup against the Chicago White Sox—Amaya managed a .200 batting average with two home runs and four RBIs over 10 games in August.