Cubs get ‘good news’ on Seiya Suzuki, who has a PCL sprain and is questionable for opening day
· Yahoo Sports
MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs might be without Seiya Suzuki to start the season, but they avoided a worst-case scenario for the right fielder’s injured right knee.
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An MRI showed Suzuki sprained the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in the knee, manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday, and the Cubs will see how he progresses over the next couple of days before deciding Saturday whether he will be ready for opening day or needs a stint on the injured list.
Suzuki is not shut down from activity, and Counsell called the injury “minor in nature” and “good news for sure.”
“We’ve got to get the swelling out of there, that’s going to make him feel more comfortable,” Counsell said. “We don’t have to stop anything, and then we’ll just progress kind of things as tolerated. … There’s nothing structural that he can’t play with. But he’s going to have to be comfortable with how he feels.
“Now it’s just kind of move forward and the question is, is the first day of the season impacted or is it going to cost him a week of the season? That’s what we’re trying to figure out and gather more information.”
Suzuki sustained the injury on a headfirst slide into second base during Japan’s World Baseball Classic quarterfinal loss to Venezuela on Saturday in Miami. He was examined by the team doctors for both Japan and the Miami Marlins before returning to Arizona, where the Cubs doctor also looked at him. Suzuki underwent an MRI on Monday afternoon.
Suzuki was in good spirits Tuesday, at one point wryly declaring he promised himself he won’t be doing any more headfirst slides. He’s going through treatment with a focus on reducing swelling and inflammation in the knee, which he said has felt better every day since Saturday.
“This is the first time with an injury of the knee, so there’s nothing that I had I can base off of, so there was some level of worry of like, how much pain and all that, but based on all the testing, I’m very optimistic about where I’m at,” Suzuki said through interpreter Edwin Stanberry. “It’s going to be day by day, seeing where the pain level’s at, and then once it dissipates, start getting my body ready.”
Although the injury forced Suzuki out of the game in the first inning of their 8-5 elimination loss to Venezuela, he was thrilled getting to play in the WBC after an oblique injury forced him to withdraw from the 2023 tournament shortly before play began.
“Representing your own country, it’s special with different emotions compared to a regular-season game or with your team,” Suzuki said. “Obviously disappointing that we couldn’t win it all. But just to represent country, it was very special. So if I do get an opportunity (to play in it again), I’m going to get some revenge.”
Suzuki, 31, is entering the final year of the five-year, $85 million contract he signed with the Cubs in 2022 to leave Nippon Professional Baseball and challenge himself in Major League Baseball. He’s coming off his best power production in his four seasons as a Cub, tallying 64 extra-base hits, including a career-best 32 home runs — 11 more than his previous high set in 2024.
If Suzuki must miss any time, the Cubs likely would give Matt Shaw opportunities in right field with their outfield depth getting tapped into too. Michael Conforto, Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick would also be in the mix if any of them break camp with the team as a nonroster invite.
“Wanting to play, but you don’t want to rush it so I think for me, it’s important to take my time and make sure it’s completely healthy, and then go from there,” Suzuki said. ” … But compared to a few days ago, every day it’s getting better. So I’m very optimistic.”