Suzuki takes team-first attitude with injured finger
After officially going on the injured list with a sprained left index finger, Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki gave an update to reporters before Tuesday's game, but still chose his words carefully.
The Cubs thought he might avoid a trip to the injured list and waited a few days after the injury happened last Thursday in Cincinnati. But after a hitting session Monday, the move was made.
"Obviously I can hit, but I feel like I'm not in the condition to play a full nine innings," Suzuki said through a translator. "Even if I do, I might have to be taken out of the game in the middle of an inning and that could kind of affect the other players on the bench.
"If it was all about myself, I'd play through the pain and be out there, but that's not the case. I think the most important thing is how I can contribute to the team. I can't contribute to the team 100 percent, so I just want to keep working on (recovery)."
<h3 class="leadin">Cubs notes:
Pitcher Anderson Espinoza returned to the minor leagues after making his major league debut Monday with 4 innings of work against the Brewers. It was a special moment for the Venezuela native, who had two Tommy John surgeries while in the Padres organization and didn't pitch from 2017-20.
"I'm really at a loss for words," he said through a translator. "I never lost faith. I always knew the talent I had. I kept working on it and thankfully this day came." ...
Before Tuesday's game, manager David Ross did not have an update on pitcher Drew Smyly's sore oblique, which caused him to leave Monday's Game 2 after three innings. Ross did say he expects Matt Swarmer to stay with the Cubs and get at least one more start. He might get several more the way injuries have piled up for the Cubs. ...
Outfielder Cole Roederer, rated a top-5 Cubs prospect in 2019 and '20 by MLB Pipeline, was promoted from South Bend to Double A Tennessee. The 2018 second-round pick had Tommy John surgery roughly a year ago.
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