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MESA, Ariz. — As Miles Mastrobuoni chased a fly ball toward the left field wall at Sloan Park, he wasn’t thinking about Sunday’s Cactus League game as just an exhibition game.
Mastrobuoni, who was in one of the spots on the Chicago Cubs’ bench, tracked the ball perfectly on a strike by Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges in the third inning and timed his leap to pull it back over the wall. However, Mastrobuoni hit the wall hard and was unable to catch the ball and the ball went into play.
Meanwhile, his head hit the metal fence during a catch attempt, causing a wound, but he remained in the game after being checked. This sequence stunned starter Kyle Hendricks, who later told Mastrobuoni to calm down in the spring.
“I appreciate the effort, but I’ll take it when it’s due,” Hendricks said. “He’s always playing, man. He’s the best. He’s my guy. So I can’t thank him enough for his effort. He’s already having a great spring. He’s fun to watch.”
In the bottom half of the inning, Mastrobuoni took the lead, scoring his first home run of the spring. After his home run with Mastrobuoni in the dugout, Mike Tauchman joked about old wives’ tales of someone getting kicked in the head by a horse and then being able to tell the fortune: “You hit your head and you turned into Ted Williams.”
The best way Mastrobuoni can help the Cubs will come from his versatility. A few days ago he was told to prepare to add off-field work to his on-field position play; He got a taste of that in 2023 when he started five games in right field in April, including Opening Day.
“I was thinking a lot last year, so today I really told myself, just go out there and be athletic,” Mastrobuoni said. “I think I’m a pretty athletic guy and you’ve got to let yourself take that kind of control, right? Like sometimes when we get too distracted and think a little bit too much, we’re like, oh, I need this and that, and it’s like go out and relax play because get tight while you’re thinking about all the other stuff.
“I wish I could retract this, but it’s definitely a good start.”
It took time for Mastrobuoni to get into a rhythm, bouncing between Triple-A Iowa and the Cubs last season, and consistent playing time was rare while in the major leagues.
“It was tough for me mentally, big time,” Mastrobuoni said. “If you’re getting one hit a day or three hits a week, that’s a really hard thing to do. I didn’t do a very good job of it. And I want to do a better job of it. But I understand this and I don’t find it too difficult. I went a little too hard. So I just trust myself, trust my job, and when the game starts, be athletic, go out there and let it take over.”
Tauchman has also become a valuable resource for Mastrobuoni over the past year; Mastrobuoni also started keeping a diary to express her feelings and not suppress them. Mastrobuoni valued Tauchman’s insight from six journeyman seasons with four organizations. He asked Tauchman how to best transition into a role player position and learned the importance of understanding one’s strengths.
“He comes in with a really good scheme and he’s definitely an outstanding athlete and he feels like his swing is in a really good spot,” Tauchman said of Mastrobuoni. “If he hits the ball like that and can help us in many positions, if he can play center back, play left field, that’s very valuable. I’m excited for him this year.”
Tauchman took on a similar role early last year, starting the season in Triple A before moving into a part-time role. By the end of the season, Tauchman had become a key part of the lineup and occupied the top spot in the Cubs’ batting order. This spring, he won’t have to wonder if he needs to prove something in camp to earn a spot on the opening day roster. Manager Craig Counsell informed Tauchman on the first day of spring training that he would take a break from camp with the Cubs.
Beyond safe roster status, what Tauchman’s role entails and how much of a presence he’ll be on the roster at the start of the season will depend in part on how he pushes the issue.
“It means the fight is still on as you have to earn playing time,” Counsell said. “And that’s the way it’s supposed to be, and that’s the way it’s going to be for Mike. But he had plenty of quality innings last year and is capable of doing so. Keep him in that zone and those hitters will be there.”
