Carson Kelly reached base in all four of his plate appearances Friday, going 1-for-1 with three walks as the Cubs fell to the Pirates 2-0. The outing pushed his season on-base percentage to.425 through 11 contests.
Kelly is now batting.303 after going 10-for-33, with four runs scored, two doubles and three runs batted in. He has done that while the Cubs have carried three catchers, with Miguel Amaya serving as the backup catcher and Moises Ballesteros working as a designated hitter.
The setup has left Kelly in a regular rhythm, typically playing two out of every three games, and the early returns have been steady. Amaya is also off to a good start at the plate, giving the Cubs more production from a group that is being used in different ways.
For now, Kelly is giving Chicago a catcher who keeps finding a way on base, even in a loss that did not offer much else. The question is whether his pace holds once the Cubs start leaning harder on the depth chart they have assembled behind the plate.
