Rejoice, Cubs fans. Seiya Suzuki’s rehab assignment is nearing its end.
Following today’s series-concluding loss to the Guardians in Cleveland, Craig Counsell shared the good news to the media: “Seiya (Suzuki) is gonna stay in rehab, and he’ll play in Knoville on Tuesday and Wednesday, then he’ll rejoin us on Friday in Chicago.”
Strictly speaking, that was the long end of Suzuki’s expected timeline, which had him back as early as tomorrow in some early estimates. But I’ll take it anyway. With an off-day on Thursday, following this week’s series in Tampa Bay, the Cubs will play just three more games without (arguably) their best right-handed hitter.
And that can’t come soon enough.
© Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesCome Back, Seiya Suzuki!
So far this season, the Cubs have had a tough time building any momentum. They lost on Opening Day and have traded off wins and losses every game since. And while you can certainly lay some blame on the feet of the pitching staff, I think the offense has been the more underwhelming group to start the year.
Including today’s two games, the Cubs as a whole are slashing just .206/.304/.334 (90 wRC+) overall, which is just barely better than the bottom-third in baseball.
Worse, they’ve managed just six home runs total (four of which are from Ian Happ), which is the fourth-lowest home run total in the league. Suzuki should help with that.
And remember, this is not ONLY about getting back your (potentially) best hitter, it’s also about removing the weakest player from the lineup on any given day. Michael Conforto just hasn’t worked out in right field (or at the plate), and Matt Shaw is otherwise being asked to carry a lot.
With Seiya Suzuki back, the top of the Cubs lineup will look significantly better and more balanced. Because as of this moment, there are only TWO hitters with an above-average wRC+: Ian Happ (128 wRC+) and Nico Hoerner (160 wRC+). Everyone else is underwater.
And, hey, who knows, with any luck, we’ll get some good news on Cade Horton tomorrow, too, who’s getting some scans done on his forearm after leaving the game on Friday with an injury.
It’s been a frustrating start to the season, but let’s see where we are a week from today, after the Cubs host the Pirates with something closer to their full lineup.
That said, it might be a good time to bank some wins, because after the Rays and Pirates this weekend, a tough stretch in the Cubs schedule awaits: Phillies (3), Mets (3), Phillies (4), Dodgers (3).
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