Cubs' Craig Counsell Announces Major Seiya Suzuki Injury Update

It appears that Suzuki and the Cubs have avoided the worst-case scenario with this injury, and the talented 30-year-old should be back in the lineup within the next week.

However, regardless of how much time he misses, it is a brutal blow to this lineup. Suzuki has played in all 17 games this season with a .292 batting average, a .928 OPS, and a 167 OPS+. He is also second on the team with four home runs and 15 RBIs, but does lead Chicago with 23 strikeouts.

Without Suzuki in the heart of the lineup, the Cubs will need to rely upon Kyle Tucker even more heavily than they already have, and will require further contributions from guys like Michael Busch and Ian Happ.

One option to replace Suzuki at DH is backup catcher Carson Kelly, who is off to a fantastic start at the plate. Through 35 plate appearances, the 10-year MLB journeyman has some eye-popping numbers: a .417 batting average, a 1.613 OPS, and an unfathomable 358 OPS+. 

Despite limited playing time, Kelly also has four home runs and 13 RBIs for the Cubs.

While he will not sustain these numbers over the course of an entire season, it’s an encouraging sign to get this type of production from an overlooked depth piece.

Hopefully, Suzuki can heal up and assure this is a mere bump in the road, not something for long-term concern.