It took just two pitches for the ball to find Matt Shaw in his Cactus League debut.

On the second pitch of the game, TJ Friedl hit a popup in foul territory down the third base line that Shaw easily caught to record the first out of the game. Shaw was making his first start of the spring after dealing with an oblique injury that slowed him at the start of camp.

Shaw finished 0-for-3 in his first taste of Cactus League action this season. But the results, especially in this case for Shaw, aren’t the be-all-end-all.

“It feels 100%,” Shaw told Elise Menaker after he exited the game. “It’s one of those things — you’re getting your feet back under you. You have a lot of work to do to get up to 9 innings, but it’s good to be out there and it felt really good.”

Shaw’s final at-bat was the most dramatic — he came up with the bases loaded and 2 outs. He coaxed a 2-2 count and popped out to Jeimer Candelario at first.

The Cubs plan to treat this like the beginning of spring training games for Shaw. He’ll have an off day after a game and play every other day until they’re ready to ramp up more consecutive game action. The Cubs leave for Japan a week from Tuesday.

“I just want him to enjoy the day, play his 4 innings and come back feeling good and have a great day tomorrow,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters before the game. “That’s kinda what we’re looking for at this point. He had a great day yesterday. [He] has had a number of great days in a row. We’re in good shape there and it’s just fun for him to be able to go out and play the game in front of fans, really.

“Matt Shaw is going to be a really good player for the Chicago Cubs.”

The 2023 1st-round pick was the presumptive favorite to win the Cubs’ Opening Day third base job. But on the first day of full-squad workouts last month, Shaw was a non-participant and was slowed up by what manager Craig Counsell called left oblique soreness.

The Cubs played it safe — they didn’t feel a need to rush it, and he was back in live batting practice sessions this week. If Shaw isn’t ready to go when the team departs for Japan, the other options at the hot corner would include veteran Jon Berti, Rule 5 pick Gage Workman, former top-100 prospect Vidal Bruján and non-roster invitee Nicky Lopez.