BJ Murray is getting his first shot in the big leagues, and the Chicago Cubs are wasting no time putting him in the mix.
Promoted from Triple-A and officially added to the active roster on Tuesday, the 26-year-old will make his MLB debut against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. Murray was drafted by the Cubs in 2021 and was at the ballpark taking batting practice before Monday night’s series opener.
The Cubs see plenty of value in the switch-hitter right away. Murray can handle both corner spots in the infield and outfield, giving Craig Counsell more ways to move pieces around. Against left-handed starter Robert Gasser, though, Murray is set to serve as the designated hitter.
Chicago’s lineup also kept leaning into its left-handed matchup plan. Tyrone Taylor started in left field for the second straight game in place of Ian Happ, Matt Shaw was at second base for Pedro Ramirez, and Nico Hoerner filled in at shortstop for Dansby Swanson. Murray was the only addition from Monday’s lineup.
Ramirez’s absence stood out after he didn’t play in Monday night’s 17-3 win and wasn’t in the starting lineup again Tuesday. At first glance, it looked like a simple matchup call, especially with Shaw owning better numbers against left-handed pitching, but the Cubs said Ramirez has been dealing with back spasms.
Murray’s bat has earned him this opportunity. With the Iowa Cubs this season, he put together a .294/.395/.500 line with 16 home runs, 24 doubles and nine triples in 516 trips to the plate. He also posted a .310/.398/.500 slash line in 118 plate appearances against lefties at Triple-A this year.
There’s a deeper story here, too. Murray was once viewed as a player trending toward the majors after a strong run at Double-A, where he posted a 127 wRC+.
But he hit a rough patch in 2024 at Triple-A and was sent back to Double-A with the Smokies in 2025. He responded with a 138 wRC+ and returned to Triple-A this season, keeping the power and the patience that have defined his climb.
Across the minors, Murray has a career .372 OBP, built on a 14.6% BB rate. His walk rate has been above 13% since 2022.
He also arrives with a bit of historical significance. Murray will become only the 10th player in MLB history born in the Bahamas to reach the majors, and only the second in Cubs franchise history. He’s also familiar to some fans through Team Great Britain, where he played in both the 2023 and 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Chicago added another arm to the roster on Tuesday as well, recalling right-handed reliever Tyler Ferguson. Acquired earlier this season in a small trade with the Athletics, Ferguson has a 3.45 ERA with a 19/2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16 games for the Cubs. The concern there is the long ball: he’s allowed three home runs in 15.2 innings.
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