Cubs Suffer Major Blow as Dansby Swanson Heads to IL

Sunday's rubber match against the St. Louis Cardinals was a total disaster for the Chicago Cubs.

Right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera returned from the injured list to make the start, but proceeded to get knocked around for six hits and seven earned runs over 3.2 innings in an 11-4 loss.

The Cubs dropped the game and the weekend series, continuing to hurt their chances of running down the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central race. And they may have lost one of their key players in the process.

In the top of the third inning, shortstop Dansby Swanson stepped in to face Cardinals starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins. Swanson swung at the first pitch and immediately slammed his helmet down in frustration.

Swanson was in clear pain and was immediately lifted from the game for rookie James Triantos.

The team later announced that he was removed with left-sided discomfort, likely pointing to an oblique injury.

It's a scary sight for the Cubs that comes at the worst time possible. An oblique injury could lead to Swanson missing an extended period of time, meaning Chicago is taking a hit to its infield defense and losing a key leader in the everyday lineup.

After the game, Cubs manager Craig Counsell confirmed that Swanson is headed to the injured list with an oblique related ailment. However, the Cubs are not yet sure how severe the injury is. Swanson is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, which should give the team a better idea of the severity of the injury and how much time he could potentially miss.

Swanson has 18 home runs, 66 RBIs, and a .704 OPS on the 2026 season. But that doesn't do justice to his 11 home runs and an .861 OPS over his last 49 games played. Swanson has been a pivotal part of Chicago's midseason surge into playoff position.

Nico Hoerner is likely to shift over and play shortstop in Dansby's absence, while second base could be occupied by either James Triantos or Pedro Ramirez on a regular basis. It could be good to get an extended look at the rookies, but it's undoubtedly a big hit to the Cubs during the home stretch of a division race.

As we await more news and updates on a timeline for Swanson's injury on Monday, all Cubs fans can do is hope it doesn't impact his ability to play in the postseason.

We'll have more real-time updates on Swanson's injury as information becomes available here at Cubs Roundtable.