The 28-year-old is dealing with an oblique injury that also kept him out of the World Baseball Classic.
The Chicago Cubs will be without one of their star players come Opening Day. According to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, outfielder Seiya Suzuki will start the 2023 season on the injured list.
After suffering an oblique injury on Feb. 28, Suzuki was sidelined from Spring Training and playing for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
Suzuki entered Spring Training appearing to have put on more muscle. After playing consistently through the first two months of the 2022 campaign, Suzuki suffered a few nagging injuries that kept him on the IL at various points in the season. But that didn’t keep him from posting respectable numbers in his first MLB season. In 111 games, he slashed .262/.336/.433 with 14 home runs, 22 doubles, 46 RBIs, nine stolen bases, and 42 walks.
While Suzuki enters the 2023 season with high expectations, it’s crucial for the Cubs to be careful with his recovery and avoid rushing him back. Manager David Ross spoke with reporters last month about the importance of that.
Per FanGraphs' ZiPS model, Seiya Suzuki is projected to hit 21 home runs and 23 doubles with 50 RBIs and a .267 batting average in 2023. If he can return to the lineup completely healthy, he could certainly exceed those numbers.
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