Cubs Star Is Going On Injured List

This sucks. Life isn’t fair. The Chicago Cubs are placing right fielder Seiya Suzuki on the injured list. Outfield prospect Alexander Canario has been called up from the Iowa Cubs to take Suzuki’s roster spot. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers first reported that Canario was getting promoted to the Cubs Monday morning.

Suzukis is going on the 10-day injured list because of an oblique issue.

A year ago, Suzuki missed all of spring training because of a strained oblique and did not make his season debut until April 14.

Suzuki has been incredible at the plate since last August and it seemed like he was embarking on his breakout season with the Cubs this year, when he would establish himself as a star in the league. Suzuki is currently slashing .305/.368/.525, with three home runs, 13 RBI, 11 runs scored and a 139 wRC+ in 15 games. He’s been one of the best hitters in all of baseball in hard-hit contact through the first few weeks of the season, which Suzuki has done since the final two months of the 2023 season.

Suzuki went 2-for-4, and scored a run in Sunday’s series finale against the Seattle Mariners. Speculation of Suzuki’s injury began Monday morning, when Rogers first reported that the Cubs were going to call up Canario. Suzuki noticeably slowed down running to first base when he hit a slow chopper to the left side of the infield in the eighth inning.

And well, Suzuki running to first base looked off the entire play.

Unfortunately it was something.

(Previous Update)

Hmmm, I have mixed feelings about this. Feels kinda weird and I can’t help but think that there’s an injury we don’t quite know about just yet because according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers the Chicago Cubs are calling up outfield prospect Alexander Canario from Triple-A.

Canario was one of the final roster cuts in spring training and while I did want to see him on the roster over a guy like Nick Madrigal, I as most Cubs fans, obviously understood Madrigal’s value on defense backing up Christopher Morel at third base. Anyway, Canario still only 23-years-old, is off to another good start with the Iowa Cubs, slashing .269/.377/.481, with a pair of home runs and a 123 wRC+ in 13 games to begin the season at Triple-A.

The Cubs called up Canario at the end of August last year, but then for some reason David Ross refused to play the right-handed slugger down the stretch. Canario had a total of 17 plate appearances in the big leagues, only starting four games in his first cup of coffee in the majors.

Again, you have to imagine that Canario is coming up because of an injury on the roster. You obviously hope that it’s not one of the outfielders. Cody Bellinger is off to a slow start, only slashing .172/.269/.293, in 17 games. His current cold streak is at 1 for his last 19 at-bats and that was his infield single in the first inning of Sunday’s series finale against the Seattle Mariners. Could Bellinger’s bad start be linked to a nagging injury?

Is it Seiya Suzuki? When did he get hurt? Ian Happ also looked terrible in Seattle, something up with him?

I think right now if the Cubs are only calling up Canario, then you start thinking about the outfield. Otherwise, the Cubs would probably just activate Patrick Wisdom from his rehab assignment. He could either fill in for a guy like Garrett Cooper, if he’s dealing with something or be an option at third base if Morel is injured.

By the way, Cubs manager Craig Counsell has talked about Morel dealing with a finger issue.

Morel went 0-for-12 with four strikeouts and generally looked off in the series against the Mariners. Lots of pop ups and it got me thinking back to Wednesday’s game against the San Diego Padres.

In the fourth inning, Morel fouled off a pitch from Dylan Cease and then hopped away in some pain, shaking his right hand.

Not great! Still, no word on any official move from the Cubs.

OK, some clarification, Jesse Rogers apparently did mention that Canario is likely replacing an outfielder.

Regardless of who it is, this is not good news for the Cubs.