Seiya Suzuki's knee injury casts doubt on Opening Day. Discover how this impacts the Cubs' lineup and roster decisions.
The Chicago Cubs are holding their breath that Seiya Suzuki’s knee injury is minor.
Suzuki injured his knee in the World Baseball Classic late on Saturday night when Team Japan faced Team Venezuela in the quarterfinals. He tried to steal in the first inning and awkwardly slid into second base.
When Suzuki got up, he was in obvious discomfort. The Cubs slugger immediately left the game and was seen walking off the field with a noticeable limp. That is obviously not a good sign for Suzuki or the Cubs at this point in the spring.
Shortly after departing that contest, Suzuki was diagnosed with right knee discomfort. However, the outfielder is expected to go through additional testing on his knee in the next few days.
Injuries have really affected Suzuki throughout his Major League career. He missed significant time in 2022 due to a finger sprain and a knee strain, and dealt with oblique strains in both 2023 and 2024.
Now, Suzuki is battling through a knee issue that could put the start of his season in jeopardy. Even if the 31-year-old is only dealing with a knee contusion, he could miss the start of the 2026 campaign as he manages the swelling.
If Suzuki were to miss the beginning of the season, that would open up more playing time for Matt Shaw. Shaw has seen plenty of work in the outfield this spring and would likely draw the start in right field on Opening Day.
That means there’s a strong chance that Shaw and Moises Ballesteros would be in the lineup together on Opening Day. Shaw would draw the start in the outfield, while Ballesteros would start at designated hitter with a right-handed pitcher on the mound.
The Cubs are obviously hoping that Suzuki doesn’t miss any time with this knee injury. Opening Day is still 11 days away, so the right fielder has a little over one week to get his knee right before the start of the season.
But there is a chance that Suzuki won’t be ready by then, and the Cubs could place him on the 15-day injured list to begin the year. That would be a worst-case scenario for the four-year veteran.
If that were the case, that would open up a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Outfielders like Michael Conforto, Chas McCormick, Dylan Carlson, and Kevin Alcantara would have better odds to start the season with the North Siders. The Cubs would likely have two of those four outfielders make the Opening Day roster.
For now, though, the Cubs are in a waiting mode on Suzuki’s knee. They are hoping their power hitter is good to go for the start of the regular season.