Seiya Suzuki Launches HR, Season Debut Could be in LA
The Chicago Cubs may not be without right fielder Seiya Suzuki for much longer. The right-handed hitter has been playing at Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs since Saturday, when he began his rehab assignment.
Suzuki missed all of spring training after he was shut down because of a strain in his left oblique that was discovered just a couple of days into Cactus League action in Arizona. Suzuki stayed behind in Arizona at the beginning of the 2023 regular season and after a few simulated games in extended spring training, he went to Triple-A.
Some fans speculated that Suzuki could have returned to the big league club this week at Wrigley Field against the Seattle Mariners, but the Cubs said on Monday that they want Suzuki to get comfortable at the plate before making a decision to put him on the active roster. However, David Ross did signal a return of Suzuki during some point in the team’s upcoming six-game road trip to the West Coast.
Jed Hoyer joined the Cubs broadcast on Marquee Sports Network Tuesday night and said it is very possible that Suzuki may be back as soon as Friday, when the Cubs open up a three-games series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In Suzuki’s first three rehab games at Triple-A, he’s gotten a total of 11 plate appearances. On Tuesday, Suzuki started his second game in right field for the Iowa Cubs and went 0-for-4 after going 2-for-5 with a walk and an RBI sac-fly in his first two games.
Suzuki was in the lineup once again on Wednesday for the Iowa Cubs against the Omaha Storm Chasers and in his first at-bat, Suzuki blasted a solo home run to dead center field.
Suzuki added a single in his second at-bat on Wednesday before striking out in the fifth and flying out to the right fielder in the seventh inning.
So far through the Cubs first 10 games of the season, David Ross has used four different starting right fielders.
Players Filling in for Seiya Suzuki in Right Field
Miles Mastrobuoni
Patrick Wisdom
Trey Mancini
Nelson Velázquez
Besides Miles Mastrobuoni, those players have done a solid job to provide enough offense in place of Suzuki, but there have certainly been a few plays on defense that have made fans yearn for Suzuki’s immediate return to right field.
The Cubs called up Nelson Velázquez on Monday after his scorching hot start at Triple-A and he started on Tuesday night. Velázquez made the most of the playing time, going 3-for-4, including his first career grand slam that put the Cubs ahead 8-7, erasing a seven-run deficit.
So, he’s definitely trying to prove that he should stay up when Suzuki comes back to the team, whenever that may be.
In all likelihood, the Cubs may also make another roster move heading into their road trip, as they currently have a seven-man bullpen after sending Javier Assad to Triple-A on Monday. Couple that with Hayden Wesneski’s short start on Tuesday and despite an off day on Thursday, the Cubs bullpen is getting depleted.