One day after catching Jon Lester as he has done many times before, Chicago Cubs catcher David Ross has left the team for personal and family reasons. MLB.com's Greg Garno and Carrie Muskat report that the Cubs have placed Ross on the bereavement list so Ross can attend the funeral of his grandmother, who passed away.
The Cubs have not yet announced the exact number of days Ross will miss, but he has a window of three to seven days.
Except for when he was on the disabled list, Ross has caught nearly every one of Lester's starts this year as he did from the beginning of 2013 until last year's trade deadline when the duo played for the Boston Red Sox. In 52 total games this year, Ross is hitting .189/.301/.283 with 1 HR and 7 RBI. He is known much more for his defense and pitch calling.
Ross has also made two appearances on the mound for the Cubs this year, and he has not allowed a run -- or even a base runner -- in two innings pitched. His one home run at the plate occurred while he was a relief pitcher against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 26.
The Cubs had already activated starting catcher Miguel Montero from the disabled list before Friday's game, and he will start behind the plate Saturday. Kyle Schwarber, the other catcher, will start in left field.
Montero spent the previous three weeks on the disabled list with a sprained left thumb. He is hitting .230/.337/.392 with 10 HR and 32 RBI in 73 games as the primary starting catcher. His return will keep Schwarber in the outfield more, but Schwarber will also see some time behind the plate. It depends on who has the hot hand at the time as manager Joe Maddon looks to use the best lineup possible each day.
When Montero came back Friday, the Cubs sent outfielder Matt Szczur down to Triple-A Iowa. However, with the news of Ross, Szczur has returned for what is officially his sixth Major League stint this season. Szczur is hitting .217/.250/.333 with 1 HR and 8 RBI in 65 plate appearances this season.
