Cubs Reveal Timeline for Seiya Suzuki’s Return

The Chicago Cubs are hoping that right fielder Seiya Suzuki will return to the lineup soon, but he won’t be making his 2023 season debut at Wrigley Field. Cubs manager David Ross revealed on Monday that the team believes the best case scenario for Suzuki’s return will be some time during the Cubs upcoming road trip to the West Coast, following their three game series against the Seattle Mariners.

Suzuki has been out with a left oblique strain since the beginning of spring training and a few days ago he started a rehab assignment with the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A. The Cubs will travel after Wednesday’s series finale against the Mariners and will begin a six-game road trip on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Following that weekend series in LA, the Cubs will head up to Oakland and play a three game series against the A’s.

Suzuki missed all of spring training with the oblique strain and only started to play in simulated games in the final days of March and in the first week of April. On Saturday, Suzuki played in the first game of Iowa’s double header on the road against the St. Paul Saints, batting second and starting in right field. Suzuki had three plate appearances on Saturday, going 1-for-1, with an RBI sac-fly and a walk. Suzuki played five innings and was pinch-hit for in the sixth inning.

On Sunday, Suzuki was the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a single to left field in his final plate appearance in the seventh inning. Suzuki was called out on strikes, grounded out and popped out in his other three at-bats.

The Iowa Cubs were off on Monday.

The good news is that it does appear as though Suzuki is no longer feeling any pain from the oblique strain and the main reason he isn’t quite yet ready to come back to the majors is because he simply hasn’t had many at-bats.

As long as the weather remains calm during the next few days, Suzuki should be in the Iowa lineup on Wednesday and Thursday. After that, the Cubs will re-evaluate Suzuki once again and determine what’s best for him. While the team and fans desperately want to see Suzuki back in right field, it is important that he feels comfortable at the plate after missing several weeks with his oblique injury.

With Suzuki still at least three days away from returning, the Cubs called up outfielder Nelson Velázquez prior to Monday night’s game against Seattle.

In eight games to begin the season at Triple-A, Velázquez was 12-for-33 with three home runs and two doubles, recording at least one hit in every game. The Cubs will surely make another roster move in the coming days, as right-handed pitcher Javier Assad was sent to Iowa for Velázquez, leaving the team with 12 pitchers.

As for Assad, he will be stretched out at Triple-A, but Ross says that won’t prohibit the Cubs from calling him back up to use out of the bullpen.

Assad was charged with six earned runs in 4.1 innings in his two relief appearances with the Cubs this season prior to getting sent down to Triple-A on Monday.

One final note from Monday, left-handed reliever Brandon Hughes will make his next bullpen appearance with the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday. Hughes is on a rehab assignment after starting the year on the injured list because of a knee issue.