Suzuki (knee) will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup Monday against the Rockies.
Suzuki was scratched from the starting nine ahead of Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Giants, but manager Craig Counsell suggested that Suzuki was held out as a precaution after he had been forced out of Saturday's win due to right knee discomfort. The 31-year-old's knee appears to have responded well enough to the day off for the Cubs to feel comfortable inserting him back into the lineup Monday, albeit in a non-defensive role. Suzuki will carry a season-best 10-game hitting streak into the contest.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Scratched from starting nine
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The Cubs scratched Suzuki (knee) from the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.
After exiting in the fourth inning of Saturday's 6-1 win due to right knee discomfort, Suzuki had been included in the Cubs' initial lineup for Sunday's game as their designated hitter. However, manager Craig Counsell indicated that the Cubs just wanted to be conservative with Suzuki by holding him out for the series finale, which will give the 31-year-old more time to recover from the knee issue. Moises Ballesteros will end up getting the nod at DH on Sunday in place of Suzuki, who will put his 10-game hitting streak on hold, unless he's called upon for a pinch-hitting situation. Suzuki would still seem to have a good chance at rejoining the starting nine for Monday's game against the Rockies, either at DH or at his usual spot in right field.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Playing through knee issue Sunday
Rotowire
Suzuki (knee) will serve as the Cubs' designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Sunday's game against the Giants.
Though the Cubs will turn to Michael Conforto to cover right field, the right knee issue that forced Suzuki out of Saturday's contest in the fourth inning won't keep him out of the lineup entirely Sunday as he looks to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Given that Suzuki tweaked the same knee in the World Baseball Classic and opened the season on the injured list, it wouldn't be surprising if the Cubs limited him to DH duties for the next few games as a precaution.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Dealing with right knee discomfort
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Suzuki exited Saturday's game against the Giants due to right knee discomfort, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Suzuki was removed from the game in the bottom of the fourth inning after he attempted to make a running catch in right field. The right knee is the same one he sustained a strained PCL during the World Baseball Classic, causing him to miss the first 12 games of the season. However, it's not clear if the current knee injury is related to the prior one. Matt Shaw replaced Suzuki in the outfield following his departure.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Exits with apparent injury
Rotowire
Suzuki was removed from Saturday's game against the Giants in the bottom of the fourth inning with an apparent injury, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Suzuki tried to make a running grab on a Matt Chapman single and came off the field with the training staff. Prior to leaving, Suzuki went 1-for-2 with an RBI single and a walk. Matt Shaw has replaced Suzuki in right field.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Doubles twice in win
Rotowire
Suzuki went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 5-1 win over the Giants.
Suzuki is in a nice groove lately, as he now has hits in nine straight contests. The outfielder has five extra-base hits during the hot stretch, and he's now up to a .767 OPS for the season. Suzuki still has some work to do to get his OPS above .800, which is a level he's reached in each of the last three years, but he does seem to be trending in the right direction.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Homers again in rout
Rotowire
Suzuki went 1-for-1 with three walks, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Friday's 18-3 loss to the Giants.
Suzuki's eighth-inning home run was about the only bright spot for the Cubs in the ugly loss. That's now two long balls in three days for the slugging outfielder, who is up to nine homers for the season across 50 games. Suzuki popped a career-best 32 home runs in 151 regular-season contests last year, and he could make a run at that figure in 2026 if he starts to heat up.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Sitting Monday
Rotowire
Suzuki is not in Monday's lineup against the Pirates.
Suzuki has gone 0-for-13 with a walk and three strikeouts in his last four games. Michael Conforto draws the start in right field while Moises Ballesteros gets the start at designated hitter.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Productive in win
Rotowire
Suzuki went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 10-5 win over the White Sox.
Suzuki snapped an 0-for-15 slump over his last four games with his first multi-hit performance since May 4. The outfielder has still been productive overall with a .272/.382/.491 slash line across 31 games. Suzuki has also put an early-season knee issue behind him, and he should continue to post strong stats as long as he remains healthy.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Smacks seventh homer Friday
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Suzuki went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, two walks and two runs scored in Friday's 7-1 win over the Rangers.
Suzuki walked and scored in the first inning before taking Kumar Rocker deep to end an eight-pitch at-bat in the fourth. It was Suzuki's seventh homer of the season, all of which have come in his past 15 contests. After missing the first 12 games of the season with a knee injury, Suzuki has been one of the best hitters in baseball in his 25 games. He's slashing .304/.414/.565 with the seven long balls, 16 RBI, 19 runs scored and a 16:24 BB:K across 111 plate appearances.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Exiting starting lineup
Rotowire
Suzuki is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Reds.
It looks to be a routine day off for Suzuki, who had started each of the previous six contests for the Cubs. Michael Conforto is getting a rare start in right field as the Cubs try to a complete a four-game series sweep.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Handed day off in series finale
Rotowire
Suzuki is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Padres.
With the Cubs wrapping up their series in San Diego with an afternoon game after a night game, Suzuki will receive what appears to be a routine day off. He had started in each of Chicago's last eight games, going 14-for-32 (.438 average) with five home runs, seven RBI and eight runs over that stretch.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Logs three hits, including homer
Rotowire
Suzuki went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Dodgers on Saturday.
Suzuki kicked off the scoring in the contest with a second-inning solo homer off Roki Sasaki. The 31-year-old outfielder finished with three hits for his fourth multi-hit performance over his past five contests. Suzuki has gone 10-for-20 with four homers and six RBI over that red-hot span, bringing his season OPS from .629 up to 1.003.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Stays hot, homers again Thursday
Rotowire
Suzuki went 3-for-4 with two walks, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 8-7, 10-inning win over the Phillies.
Suzuki has homered in three straight games, and he's gone 7-for-12 overall amid the power surge. The good stretch has pushed his season OPS up to a robust .980, which would easily be a career best. Even if Suzuki regresses closer to his career .823 OPS, he appears to be locked in at the plate and should continue to produce strong stats from the middle of Chicago's lineup.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Collects two hits in win
Rotowire
Suzuki went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 12-4 win over the Mets.
This was Suzuki's fifth straight start, so it looks like any playing-time restrictions after his return from a knee injury have been lifted. He's still seeking his first home run after going deep 32 times in the regular season last year, but the outfielder is batting .286 and the power should come eventually. Suzuki remains a strong fantasy option who figures to deliver plenty of homers and RBI as the season progresses.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Absent from lineup
Rotowire
Suzuki isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Pittsburgh.
Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Suzuki won't return to an everyday role immediately after coming back from his knee injury. The 31-year-old went 1-for-3 with a walk during his season debut Friday and will now sit Saturday as the Cubs look to ease him back into the lineup. Michael Conforto will start in right field and bat eighth.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Will be eased back into lineup
Rotowire
Manager Craig Counsell said Suzuki (knee) will not play every day initially after being activated from the 10-day injured list Friday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Suzuki suffered a strained PCL in the World Baseball Classic nearly a month ago, and the Cubs want to make sure not to push him too hard in the early going. The 30-year-old was equally effective against both left- and right-handed pitching last season, so both Matt Shaw and Michael Conforto are about equally likely to get chances to fill in for Suzuki in right field when he's being rested.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Expected to rejoin team Friday
Rotowire
Suzuki (knee) is expected to rejoin the major-league roster Friday in Chicago, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Suzuki will remain with Double-A Knoxville and play Tuesday and Wednesday before concluding his minor-league rehab assignment. The Cubs will return to Wrigley Field on Friday after a six-game road trip, and Suzuki appears to be on track to make his 2026 regular-season debut against the Pirates. The outfielder has gone 3-for-8 with an RBI, two runs scored, a walk and two strikeouts over three contests so far with Knoxville.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Set to begin rehab assignment
Rotowire
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that Suzuki (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Knoxville on Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Counsell expects the rehab assignment to last 3-to-7 days, setting Suzuki up to make his season debut next week, either on the road against the Rays or at home versus the Pirates. Suzuki is working his way back from a strained PCL in his right knee, an injury he suffered in mid-March while playing for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
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Cubs' Seiya Suzuki: Removed from WBC game with injury
Rotowire
Suzuki exited Saturday night's World Baseball Classic quarterfinals game against Venezuela in the bottom of the first inning with an undisclosed injury, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Suzuki was thrown out trying to steal second base and was injured on an awkward slide. He limped off the field with assistance from the training staff and was unable to take the field in the top of the second inning. Shota Morishita replaced Suzuki in center field. Suzuki's injury will be something to monitor in the coming days.
