CHICAGO — The Cubs knew they were going to be without Miguel Amaya for some time after he suffered an oblique strain May 24, but now they have a timeline: four to six weeks, according to manager Craig Counsell.

[MORE: Cubs place Miguel Amaya on 10-day IL, select Reese McGuire to 40-man roster]

Top prospect Moisés Ballesteros made his MLB debut earlier this month for a five-game stint but played exclusively at DH, even though he has spent most of his time at catcher in the minors. Counsell said there is a reason why Ballesteros isn’t being tasked with the responsibility of catching in the big leagues just yet.

“The most important thing to understand about Moisés is he’s 21 years old, and he’s playing a position that is the hardest position to play,” Counsell said Tuesday. “It’s the oldest position (age-wise) in the league — it just requires more reps.”

[MORE: Cubs sending Moisés Ballesteros back to Triple-A as Ian Happ returns]

The Cubs instead selected Reese McGuire’s contract, who signed a minor league deal with the team in the offseason. He made his Cubs debut on May 25, filling in on short notice when Carson Kelly fell ill. McGuire, an eight-year MLB veteran with 328 games of experience at catcher, is set to rotate with Kelly.

[MORE: Reese McGuire’s surprising two homers power Cubs’ largest 2025 comeback win]

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer also explained the team’s decision to choose McGuire to take over Amaya’s duties instead of Ballesteros.

“Where we are right now, it felt like the right decision to bring up Reese. That’s not a knock on Moisés,” Hoyer said. “We called him up earlier because we believe in his bat so much. The offense is ahead of the catching, but that’s natural. There’s a reason that catchers get better with age.”

Ballesteros went 3-for-16 with three RBI, three runs scored and just one strikeout in his first MLB stint. In 39 Triple-A games this year, offense has been at the forefront of Ballesteros’ game as he’s hitting .350 with 20 RBI and a .901 OPS.

Hoyer echoed Counsell’s words on what Ballesteros will pick up defensively in Triple-A while he focuses on gaining experience with the catching position.

“It’s learning how to learning how to call a game, it’s blocking, it’s framing,” Hoyer said. “I think all those things can improve — not because he doesn’t have the ability — but because he’s so young and he hasn’t done it that much.”

[MORE: Moisés Ballesteros draws rave reviews from Cubs broadcaster Alex Cohen]

Hoyer pointed out the importance of rotating catchers, as the Cubs have done, and how it has led to success for both Amaya and Kelly.

“We don’t lean on any one guy too much, and I think that’s important,” Hoyer said. “You want to win every single night, but you’re going to have to play your bench. Otherwise, you end up with really exhausted catchers who wear down at the end. Reese is going to have to step up, because we can’t overtax Carson early in the season.”

Still, Hoyer reiterated the organization’s glowing review of Ballesteros has not changed.

“(Moisés) has done a great job this year. He’s had a great year,” Hoyer said. “But we felt like the right decision was made for the team.”