Joe

Mather

Mather, 39, was previously the assistant hitting coach with the Reds. It’s a return to the Arizona organization for him, as he previously worked in the Diamondbacks’ system at a variety of levels in the minor league system before joining the Reds. Mather replaces former co-hitting coaches Drew Hedman and Rick Short, who were not asked to return after the D-Backs’ dreadful 2021 season.

Both were expected announcements. Mather has enjoyed a tremendous spring, batting .412 (21-for-51) with three homers and 13 RBI. He’ll add some versatility to the Cubs’ bench. DeWitt was outrighted off the 40-man roster in February, but has earned his way into the good graces of the new front office by hitting .289 (13-for-45) with one homer, five RBI and a 5/5 K/BB ratio during Cactus League play.

The former Cardinal and Brave now has his spring average up to .421, and he’s gone deep three times in 38 at-bats. Mather also offers some versatility, with the ability to play both corner infield and all three outfield positions. He could be playing his way onto the Opening Day roser.

He also had a single earlier in the game, pushing his average up to an even .300 on the season. Mather got the start at third base in this one, and he could draw some starts in center field with Marlon Byrd out of the picture. It’s doubtful he’ll become fantasy relevant, though.

The bug is sweeping through the Cubs’ clubhouse, as Matt Garza, Jeff Baker and Scott Maine are also sick. Stewart should be OK in a day or two. Joe Mather is getting the start at the hot corner Sunday.

The Cubs will go with utilityman Joe Mather against Gio Gonzalez. Mather earned an Opening Day roster spot by batting .382/.425/.691 with three home runs in 26 games this spring.

Mather earned an Opening Day roster spot by batting .382/.425/.691 with three home runs in 26 games this spring. He’ll be a backup outfielder and first baseman.

Mather batted .213 with one home run and nine RBI over 75 at-bats with the Braves last season before being designated for assignment in mid-June. The 29-year-old opted for free agency and finished the season at the Triple-A level in the Rockies’ organization. He will likely serve as organizational depth in the minors for the Cubbies.

Jackson should play pretty regularly down the stretch, but he’s taking a seat against the left-hander Clayton Richard. The 24-year-old has eight strikeouts over his first 12 plate appearances in the majors. David DeJesus will make the start in center field Wednesday while Joe Mather plays right.

The Cubs were down 14-4 to the Brewers when Mather entered with two outs in the ninth inning. He allowed an inherited runner to score on a single to right field but then retired the second batter he faced to end the frame. Mather also made a relief appearance when he played for the Cardinals in 2010. He has a 7.71 career ERA and a 2.57 career WHIP in 2 1/3 innings.