The Chicago Cubs will be welcoming Seiya Suzuki as they kick off a weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The outfielder was activated from the injured list on Friday after missing nearly a month with an oblique strain.
Suzuki's return follows Cody Bellinger's on Tuesday, giving the Cubs their two biggest power hitters back. The North Siders' offense has been inconsistent, so Suzuki's return should help stabilize things in the middle of the lineup.
The injury bug has been unrelenting to the Cubs. With Suzki back, the Cubs placed Dansby Swanson on the 10-day IL (retroactive to May 8) with a right knee sprain.
Swanson hasn't looked like himself as of late. His bat has been extremely cold and his defense has been atypically poor. If there were questions regarding what was wrong, his trip to the IL certainly answered them.
With time to heal, the hope is that Swanson will be able to right the ship and return to his normal reliable ways.
In the meantime, it'll be interesting to see who fills his spot. Christopher Morel is versatile, but his focus has remained on third base. Nick Madrigal and Miles Mastrobuoni shouldn't be counted on at shortstop for a Cubs team with postseason aspirations.
The Cubs could consider promoting prospect Luis Vazquez. The 24-year-old is enjoying an impressive start to the season for Triple-A Iowa.
Vazquez could be the spark a recently inconsistent Cubs' lineup is missing. Also helping matters, shortstop is his primary position. Even if Swanson's absence is brief, Vazquez has a chance to play his way onto the bench.
The Cubs need to be bold here. Instead of trotting out the same journeymen players to fill holes in the lineup, it's time to promote from within and show the benefits of a strong farm system.
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