The Chicago Cubs are looking for more consistent offense, and hope to get that in the return of their slugger.
The Chicago Cubs are getting a key slugger back into their lineup. After missing the start of the year due to a sprained right knee, Seiya Suzuki is back. The Cubs activated Suzuki from the 10-day injured list ahead of Friday’s start to the home series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Suzuki will slot back into the starting lineup and will bat fifth in the series opener. He was injured while playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic, a known risk for star players participating in the WBC, spraining the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee on March 14.
His return follows a rehab stint in Double-A Knoxville where he was batting .429 with two doubles in five games. In order to accommodate the slugger, Chicago designated outfielder Dylan Carlson for assignment. The 31-year-old is in his final year of a five-year, $85 million deal, and is critical to the Cubs’ offense. Suzuki slashed .245/.326/.478 with a career-high 32 home runs and 103 RBI and was a major reason that the franchise reached the playoffs from the first time since 2020.
Here is the full story from Cubs Roundtable writer Joey Pollizze on the major moves and roster shakeup ahead of the homestand against the Pirates.
Chicago hopes that Suzuki will provide a boost that knocks them over .500, as they enter Friday at 6-6 following a road trip that was spelled by inconsistent scoring. After a cold four-game stretch in which they totaled 11 runs, the offense surged to outscore the Tampa Bay Rays 15-4 in two wins. With that momentum rolling, they’ll look to Suzuki to bolster and stabilize it.