CHICAGO — Dansby Swanson wasn’t himself throughout much of 2024.

The Cubs shortstop dealt with a knee sprain that kept him sidelined for 10 days in May, and throughout much of the season, he also had a core injury, which required surgery in October. That surgery wasn’t publicized by the team until December, and for much of the season, Swanson, who prides himself on being on the field, kept the injury to himself.

Cubs fans are seeing what a healthy Swanson can do to this offense — and, boy, is it a welcome bat in the middle of the lineup. He finished 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, two runs, a stolen base and the go-ahead, two-run single in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 10-6 win over the Texas Rangers at Wrigley Field.

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“Just starting out, like I said, being healthy is such a big deal,” Swanson said after the win. “Kind of has been a really good reminder of this is what it’s supposed to feel like to be healthy and to be able to play freely mentally but also physically. And I’m just so grateful to be in this position and to be here with these guys, being able to do this.”

The injuries led to mixed results in 2024.

Swanson finished the year with 16 home runs, a .242 average, a .702 OPS and a 99 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) one percentage point below league average, and it was a tale of two halves for him. He hit .212 with a .632 OPS, nine home runs and a 76 wRC+ before the All-Star break. He hit .282, posted a .795 OPS and a 124 wRC+ afterward.

Swanson is off to a solid start this year. His batting average (.226) might not be where he wants it to be, but his overall offensive production has been strong — he has four homers and 11 RBI, and his 125 wRC+ would be the best of his career.

“I think he’s just being himself,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s obviously off to a good start and driving some baseballs. He’s putting some balls in the air and driving the ball. He’s definitely off to a big start.”

That’s a welcome boon to this Cubs offense.

There’s no question Kyle Tucker is the star of this offense and is expected to carry the group throughout this season. It’s why the Cubs’ front office paid a hefty price and why he’s been a top-five hitter in baseball.

But the Cubs can’t rely on one bat. Tucker, for all his prowess, will struggle like every hitter does. So having contributions from multiple areas in the lineup improves an offense and can help them withstand inevitable slumps.

That’s what’s happened so far in 2025.

The Cubs have four qualified hitters with a wRC+ above league average (100), and their catching timeshare of Carson Kelly (234) and Miguel Amaya (100) are right there, too. That creates a Swiss Army Knife offense and doesn’t give an opposing pitching staff a break.

The results have shown that. The Cubs have scored the most runs (94) in baseball, yes, but they’ve played more games than every other team because of the MLB Tokyo Series. Their 6.71 runs per game, though, ranks second in baseball, behind the New York Yankees (7.09), and their +32-run differential is the best in baseball.

Swanson at 100 percent can elevate this group. The results prove that.

“I think just the consistency and the intent has been so tremendous from our group,” Swanson said. “Just not taking at-bats off, no matter what the score is, no matter what the situation is, just looking to do a job, being intentional, running the bases. All those things are huge.

“I think that that has just shown what it takes for this group to be good, and we’ve done that so far, throughout this year and it’s been a joy to be a part of.”