Overview

• The Cubs rookie missed the Sept. 21 game in Cincinnati to attend Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Glendale, Arizona, after an invitation from Erika Kirk.
• Shaw said he consulted president Jed Hoyer, manager Craig Counsell and veteran teammates, and the club approved his absence under team discretion.
• Because MLB’s bereavement list applies only to immediate family, Chicago could not make a roster replacement and played short in the 1–0 loss to the Reds.
• Mets play-by-play voice Gary Cohen labeled the decision “weird,” with analyst Todd Zeile calling it “unprecedented,” drawing pushback from Mikey McCoy and others on social media.
• Shaw reiterated that “whatever backlash comes is OK,” then went 3-for-4 with a home run in the Cubs’ 10–3 win over the Mets, as Chicago had already clinched a postseason berth.