I'm sure some fans definitely had this thought a few weeks ago and maybe I should have too, but I wanted to be as positive as possible with a new season getting underway. Yeah, it was cool to see Seiya Suzuki showing up to Cubs camp looking jacked and he confirmed that he put on 20 pounds of muscle during the offseason. That's a dramatic change and although it is still February, I am starting to get worried about Suzuki's oblique injury.
The Cubs opened up spring training action on Saturday against the Giants and the first lineup looked like an Opening Day preview. However, about an hour before first pitch, Suzuki was scratched from the lineup and was replaced by outfield prospect Brennen Davis in right field. I mean hey, it's the first game, a guy is feeling something, so there's obviously no reason to push it. But I did initially think, hmm, an oblique, not great, but again no big deal.
Then, Suzuki sat out once again on Sunday against the Dodgers and we also learned that he was getting imaging done on his oblique.
I'm not completely freaking out at this point, but this does mean whatever Suzuki felt on Saturday wasn't just a one-day thing and oblique issues flat out stink. Even if it's minor it can change a player's mechanics because on every swing they'll feel something and in most cases the problem only goes away with time. We'll hopefully get a positive update today and fingers crossed that this will only be a small issue for Suzuki. I'll take him being out a few weeks in March if it means he'll be as close to 100% by Opening Day.
While the Cubs added a lot of players in free agency this past season, Suzuki probably has the best chance to have the biggest breakout year as he enters his second season in MLB. Of course, that can only happen if he stays relatively healthy throughout 2023.
The Cubs are already counting on a few players to exceed their projections to elevate the offense, so losing Suzuki for any period of time in the regular season would be a big blow to the lineup.
Let's hope Seiya is back healthy ASAP and can put his adjustments at the plate into practice in no time.
On Saturday, left-handed starting pitcher Justin Steele was also scratched against the Dodgers. The lefty is experiencing arm fatigue, but I'm not so worried about this one. Cubs manager David Ross said that Steele is expected to make his next scheduled spring training start.
You'll see arm fatigue every spring training and sometimes it's early, sometimes it's later on, but normally it simply does result from the ramp up pitchers have after coming back from the offseason. If Steele doesn't make his next start, then yeah, maybe you start to get worried about something else happening there.
Ahhh, nothing like a little freak out three days into spring training games. Baseball is officially back.
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