Cubs' Matt Shaw leaves team to attend Charlie Kirk memorial service
Infielder Matt Shaw was away from the Cubs to attend the memorial service for conservative influencer Charlie Kirk in Arizona, according to multiple reports.
Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw was away from the team Sunday as they faced the Cincinnati Reds, attending Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona, according to multiple reports.
The Cubs did not confirm his absence, but manager Craig Counsell said, "Matt Shaw was unavailable today. He attended the funeral of a friend." Shaw had a personal connection with Kirk; Kirk posted a photo of himself at Wrigley Field alongside Shaw and Michael Busch last month.
Shaw was scratched from the lineup on Sept. 10 — the day Kirk was assassinated on the campus of Utah Valley University — for personal reasons. He later entered the game as a pinch hitter, according to The Athletic.
More than 90,000 attended Kirk's memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Cubs were among MLB teams to pay tribute to Kirk, with a pregame statement urging that Americans come together to end political violence. The flag at Wrigley Field was flown at half-staff in accordance with MLB’s request following President Donald Trump’s presidential proclamation. The New York Yankees also paid tribute to Kirk at Yankee Stadium.
The Cubs lost to Cincinnati on Sunday, 1-0, in a game that left the team with a lingering sense of the season being in a postseason frame despite already clinching a playoff berth.
The Cubs are scheduled to continue their post-season push in the coming weeks, and Shaw, who is 23 years old, remains a part of Chicago’s roster, though his absence for the memorial service underscored the broader league-wide response to Kirk’s death.
