Suzuki won’t be ready for Opening Day, Cubs confirm
Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki will not be able to play on Opening Day, manager Craig Counsell confirmed Saturday.
Suzuki suffered a right knee sprain while sliding into second base in a quarterfinal game of the World Baseball Classic. The Cubs don't think it's a long-term injury, but long enough to keep him out past Thursday. The next question is whether or not he'll start the season on the injured list.
“Everything else is going well,” Counsell told reporters in Arizona. “We're just kind of running out of time in terms of being ready that quickly. Nothing has changed from the original diagnosis or anything.”
The Cubs will play their final spring game on Tuesday against the Yankees, then head home and open the season at Wrigley Field against Washington on Thursday. It sounds like a short stint on the injured list for Suzuki is probable, but Counsell said they'll wait a few days before making that call.
“He's done more every day,” Counsell said of Suzuki. “(Saturday) is like a normal cage routine he's going to do from a hitting perspective. We have not run yet. We have not stopped and started yet. Those are the things that are going to test this. Sliding, which will be an interesting test.”
Another bit of news Saturday was Counsell confirming veteran outfielder Michael Conforto would be on the Opening Day roster.
Will Conforto play right field as Suzuki's replacement? That's a possibility, along with Matt Shaw. Conforto bats left-handed and Shaw right-handed, so it could depend on the pitching matchup. Moises Ballesteros, a lefty, is expected to be the primary designated hitter.
Conforto, 33, is a former first-round pick of the Mets and had some big years, hitting 33 home runs in 2019. He hasn't done as well recently and was essentially let go by the Dodgers after hitting .199 last year.
Conforto hit .267 in spring training games through Friday. Dylan Carlson, another veteran nonroster outfielder, had the better spring (.308), but Conforto has a better hitting history in MLB. Carlson might still make the big-league club if Suzuki goes on the injured list.