Cubs place Suzuki on IL, recall Canario
The Cubs placed outfielder Seiya Suzuki on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain and recalled Alexander Canario from Triple A Iowa before facing Arizona on Monday.
Mike Tauchman started in right field against the Diamondbacks, while Garrett Cooper was DH. Canario is likely to see action at both spots.
Suzuki said he felt the injury during an eighth-inning ground out to third against Seattle on Sunday. He slowed up slightly before reaching first base.
“I didn't have any problems prior to the game,” Suzuki said Monday through a translator, according to Marquee Sports Network. “Just in that last at-bat when I was running, there was some sudden discomfort that I felt.”
Suzuki has been the second-best hitter in the Cubs lineup so far this season, hitting .305 with 3 home runs and a team-best 13 RBI. First baseman Michael Busch leads the Cubs with a .327 average and has homered in the last four games.
One concerning part about this injury is Suzuki missed the start of the 2023 season, along with most of spring training, due to an oblique issue. Then it took him a few months to hit his stride at the plate.
Canario hit .269 with 2 home runs and 7 RBI for Iowa this season. The Dominican Republic native made his MLB debut last year, appearing in six games and hitting .294 with 1 home run.
The Cubs hope Canario can help fans forget about Nelson Velazquez, who never got much of a chance to fill in for Suzuki last year and was eventually traded to Kansas City for reliever Jose Cuas. Velazquez is now hitting .314 with 2 home runs for the Royals and is on the South Side playing against the White Sox this week.
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