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The Chicago Cubs have placed shortstop Dansby Swanson on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained right knee, via Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune. As a corresponding move, the Cubs have activated outfielder Seiya Suzuki just ahead of the club’s series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Swanson’s IL trip is retroactive to this past Wednesday. He initially injured his knee while sliding on a stolen base attempt during a win over the Houston Astros back on April 25. Swanson’s knee has been bothering him ever since, so Chicago has decided to play it safe and give him some time to rest, Montemurro noted.
Suzuki was placed on the injured list back on April 15 due to a right oblique strain.
In other Cubs injury news, starting pitcher Jameson Taillon experienced back stiffness while throwing on Tuesday, per Montemurro. He was scheduled to start against the Pirates on Friday, but that has been pushed back. Taillon also had a back issue in spring training, but manager Craig Counsell says that this instance is not as bad. There is a chance that Taillon could return sometime this weekend versus Pittsburgh, Montemurro added.
The Cubs were 22-16 entering action on Friday and sat a half-game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central. They have gone just 5-7 after a 17-9 start.
Dansby Swanson has struggled this season
When the Cubs signed Swanson to a seven-year, $177 million contract in December 2022, they were probably hoping for better results than what he has given them, particularly thus far in 2024.
Through 37 games, Swanson is slashing a paltry .209/.285/.341 with four home runs and 12 RBI across 144 plate appearances. His defense has been good as usual, as Swanson boasts a 7.8 UZR/150. However, when you’re paying someone that kind of money, you are expecting more than just slick fielding.
Last year, Swanson wasn’t great with the bat, but he was passable, registering a .244/.328/.416 slash line to go along with 22 long balls and 80 RBI. He was phenomenal in the field, posting a 5.9 UZR and 5.7 UZR/150. He also recorded a DRS of 18 en route to his second straight Gold Glove.
The 29-year-old began his career with the Atlanta Braves, breaking into the majors in 2016. He really began to show his potential in 2019, when he slashed .251/.325/.422 with 17 dingers and 65 RBI. Then, in the pandemic-shortened season of 2020, Swanson tallied a career-high .809 OPS across 264 plate appearances.
His best season, however, probably came in 2022, when he slashed .277/.329/.447 with 25 homers, 32 doubles and 96 RBI. In addition, he stole 18 bases, won a Gold Glove and finished 12th in NL MVP voting as a 6.6 WAR player. Swanson parlayed that terrific campaign into his massive deal with the Cubs, but he has not quite lived up to expectations.
Chicago can probably live with Swanson’s 2023 offensive output if he continues playing Gold Glove-caliber defense. After all, it’s rare that you see a middle infielder with that type of pop. However, the Cubs certainly cannot be happy with Swanson’s performance through the first month-and-a-half of 2024.
The Cubbies rank 15th in the majors with a .701 OPS, 20th in batting average (.233) and a respectable 12th in runs scored. Swanson is certainly not the only reason why Chicago’s offense has been so middling this year, but he definitely hasn’t helped.
On the other hand, Suzuki should absolutely bring some boom back to the Cubs’ lineup, as he was slashing .305/.368/.525 with three home runs and 13 RBI before hitting the IL. Last year, Suzuki rattled off an .842 OPS while smashing 20 homers and driving in 74 runs.
More must-reads:
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