Jeimer Candelario Reportedly Starting at 1B Tuesday Night

The Cubs have not yet officially added Jeimer Candelario to the active roster and Tuesday’s lineup won’t drop for a couple of hours after this is published, but Jesse Rogers reported during a radio hit on ESPN 1000 that the newly acquired infielder will be starting at first base. That’s notable because all of his last 3,046 defensive innings over three seasons have come on the other side of the diamond. Candelario has played first in the past, most recently for the Tigers in 2020, and it was presumed that he might slide over to first on occasion to give Nick Madrigal more time at the hot corner.

Even with that in mind, putting the NL’s WAR leader at third base over at a spot he hasn’t played…