Cubs slugger exits game with apparent injury
Just when it seemed Seiya Suzuki was beginning to hit his stride offensively, the injury bug struck him again.
Suzuki was pulled in the 6th inning of Friday night’s 3-2 loss to Cincinnati. He was stealing second base when Tyler Stephenson’s throw from behind home plate caught him square on the back. He was in some discomfort and was tended to by trainers and manager Craig Counsell but stayed in the game.
During his in-game interview, Counsell said Suzuki needed a breather but might be OK. Then, in the 5th inning, the trainers and Counsell came to check on him after a pitch. He stayed in the game and drew a walk. But after the top of the 6th, he left the game and was replaced by Mike Tauchman. After the game, Counsell said he suffered a contusion.
“He’s just kind of all bruised there,” Counsell said. “And it just tightened up.”
The 29-year-old has struggled to stay on the field in his major-league career. He missed nearly a month earlier this season when he suffered a right oblique strain. In 2023, he missed the first couple of weeks of the season with a left oblique strain and in 2022 missed over a month with a left finger sprain.
“After swinging, [I] felt [my] oblique tighten up a little bit,” Suzuki said after the game through interpreter Toy Matsushita. “And from previous injuries that [I’ve] overcome before, [I] just wanted to take the most precautionary way of preventing big injuries from happening, so [I] decided to come out of the game.”
Suzuki had a 1.059 OPS with 7 RBI and a pair of homers over his last seven games. When the Cubs offense was clicking earlier this season, Suzuki was a big part of that while manning the 2-spot in the batting order.
If Suzuki misses any time, the Cubs’ offense will be tested — just when it appeared they were turning a corner. After offensive woes in May, the team had scored 4 or more runs in four of five games this month and Suzuki, Cody Bellinger and Christopher Morel have been hitting better of late.
It’s the second straight day a Cubs’ hitter has suffered an injury.
Nico Hoerner was kept out of the lineup on Friday after being hit by a pitch on Thursday. He stayed in the game, underwent imaging, but admitted to having difficulties swining a bat on Friday. Hoerner entered the game in the 9th inning on Friday as a pinch runner for Miguel Amaya.
