Chicago Cubs Szczur always ready, willing and able
Matt Szczur, as usual, stayed loose and ready. Sitting on a stool in front of his locker stall inside the Cubs clubhouse, he thumbed through messages on his phone, head down, grinning, patiently waiting for reporters to arrive.
"I was checking out Instagram," Szczur said. "My family and friends blew up my phone already."
They were congratulating him on his first 3-hit game in the major leagues. His 3-for-4 effort in the Cubs' 5-1 win over the Mets at Wrigley Field on Monday night hiked his batting average to .294 and marked just the latest contributions by the backup outfielder.
Two days earlier, against the Rangers at Wrigley Field, Szczur delivered a pinch hit for the third time in a row. Heading into Tuesday night's game against the Mets, his 10 pinch hits ranked second in the National League, one behind the leaders.
"The things about Matty is, he's been playing sporadically, but he's always ready," manager Joe Maddon said. "He's always engaged. There's never a pout. It's not like if he doesn't see his name in the lineup he cries about it."
That's Szczur, who's played all three outfield positions this season. In a rare start in right field on Monday night, he smoked a pair of doubles, using his speed to stretch a single in the eighth inning, and scored twice.
"I'm a 'see ball, hit ball' type of guy," said Szczur, whose season has also included his first big-league grand slam. "I'm just trying to go out there and be the best that I can be, and whatever role they put me in is where I'm trying to be the best."
A fifth-round pick by former general manager Jim Hendry in 2010, Szczur turns 27 on Wednesday and might be too old to still be considered a prospect. He's actually 19 days older than teammate Jason Heyward, who's in his seventh big-league season.
But in a crowded Cubs outfield, Szczur has taken advantage of injuries to Kyle Schwarber, Jorge Soler, Chris Coghlan and Dexter Fowler to further prove that he not only belongs in the big leagues but that he can be a valuable role player.
Mind you, Szczur didn't secure a roster spot until the final week of spring training. He's out of minor-league options, meaning the Cubs would have to put him on waivers and risk losing him if they wanted to send him to Class AAA Iowa, where he's spent time in both 2014 and 2015.
"Maybe I wasn't guaranteed a job (out of spring training), but I felt like I was going to be in the big leagues this year," Szczur said.
Could he eventually be a starter?
"I think with guys like Matty, it's just about opportunity," Maddon said. "You get to that point where something may happen and all of a sudden he's ready and willing, and he captures that moment."
In the meantime, Szczur stays ready, regardless of where Maddon pencils his name on the lineup card. When he's not starting, like Tuesday night against Mets ace Noah Syndergaard, Szczur heads into the Cubs' new state-of-the-art, underground facility and rides the stationary bike, runs sprints and has coaches Eric Hinske or Henry Blanco throw BP to him.
"This facility is awesome for us," Szczur said. "It's really helped out."
Szczur brings same aggressive approach to the field that he did when he was a two-sport star at Villanova. He played wide receiver, running back and quarterback and even returned kicks for the football team.
"He's a wonderful team player," Maddon said of the MVP of the 2009 Football Championship Subdivision title game. "The football background probably helps with that a little bit."