Cubs put Dansby Swanson on IL with knee sprain, activate Seiya Suzuki before Pirates series

PITTSBURGH – The Cubs put shortstop Dansby Swanson on the 10-day IL on Friday with a sprained right knee. They activated Seiya Suzuki from the IL (strained right oblique) a day earlier than originally planned as the corresponding move.

Swanson has been playing through the injury, which he sustained in the Cubs’ 3-1 win against the Astros on April 25, sliding into second to steal the base. He was out of the starting lineup twice in the past week, including Wednesday before the Cubs’ off day Thursday.

“Obviously I’ve been trying to do it for the last couple of weeks, and nothing's gotten any better,” Swanson said Friday before the Cubs’ series opener against the Pirates. “And we all decided that it was probably best to take some rest. So, my pride doesn't like it, but here we are.”

The move was retroactive to Wednesday, so Swanson will be eligible to come off the IL as soon as next Saturday. And manager Craig Counsell said a minimum stint was “a possibility.” But the Cubs have an off day the following Monday, so if Swanson recovers quickly, it could make the most sense to bring him back the following series, against the Braves at Wrigley Field.

“It’s day to day, literally,” Counsell said. “We're going to use the first half of it as just rest and then see where we're at.”