Seiya Suzuki en route to Cubs camp for examination of injured knee
MESA, Ariz. — Craig Counsell wasn’t about to throw shade on the World Baseball Classic, an intense and exciting event that fans and players have embraced. It seems to be good for baseball. The experience of playing in high stakes competitions has value for players.
That said, the Cubs manager’s joy of watching his daughter win a state championship basketball game Saturday night in Green Bay, Wis., was tempered to some degree by news of Seiya Suzuki leaving Japan’s semifinal loss to Venezuela in the WBC with a right knee injury, which also occurred Saturday night.
Suzuki, who walked off the field with a minor limp after being tagged out attempting to steal second base, was en route from Miami to Cubs camp Sunday. Cubs medical and training staff are eager to examine him and get images of the right fielder’s knee. Until then, Counsell is taking a “wait and see” approach before assessing the extent of the injury.
“We need to see him,” Counsell said. “He’s on a flight back here, lands late afternoon, it’s going to take us through [Monday] to get our hands on Seiya and see what’s going on. It’s best we wait and see, let our doctors and trainers take a look at him and see what’s going on.”
Suzuki, who batted .245/.326/.478 with 32 homers in 151 games as the primary designated hitter for the Cubs last season, had a strong tournament as Japan’s center fielder, going 3-for-9 with two home runs, five walks, two runs scored and five RBI. He was 2-for-4 with a home run in Cactus League games before heading to the WBC.
“You never want to see your players come out of a game,” Counsell said. “And you know you’re not going to have all the information. We just have to wait. There’s nothing we can do but wait.”
Matt Shaw, the slick-fielding third baseman turned super utility player after the signing of three-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman, was the first name Counsell mentioned as he assessed the Cubs’ depth in right field.
“Right is good,” Shaw told the Sun-Times of the work and innings he has played there this spring. “It’s going to be a challenging position, especially at Wrigley, but It’s enjoyable out there. I love playing with [center fielder] Pete [Crow-Armstrong], by game 2 or 3 our communication was pretty awesome. I’m definitely ready to rock and roll wherever it is.”
Shaw, who was scheduled to play center against the Dodgers Sunday with Michael Conforto in right, said he’s ready to step forward and assume more reps in right field, if needed.
“It’s always easier to play one position versus playing four or five,” Shaw said. “Mental preparation, all those things. Not knowing where you’re going to be every day. But of course I’ll be prepared for whatever that looks like. If that means it looks like more time at one position, I’m ready for that. If it looks like moving around all over the place, that’s the more difficult of the two but I also feel I’m ready for that as well.”
In any case, with less than two weeks until Opening Day, it would be a significant loss should Suzuki be out for an extended period. Michael Tucker’s signing with the Dodgers in free agency slotted Suzuki, who is in the last year of a five-year, $85 million deal, to be the primary right fielder with left-handed hitting Moises Ballesteros pegged as a primary DH.
The Cubs have multiple options behind Suzuki on the right field depth chart.
“It’s pretty clear,” Counsell said Sunday. “Matt Shaw has played a lot of right field and then we’ve got three other guys in camp. Conforto, Chas [McCormick] and Dylan Carlson and we also have Kevin [Alcantrara] on the roster. The outfield is an area where we have the most depth.”
Never a bad thing. Stuff happens.
“Every year you’re kind of battling the difference between ‘This is what our team looks like’ and things are going to happen,’ ” Shaw said. “So you have to be prepared for both those things. “Things always end up happening. It was unfortunate and Seiya was having an unbelievable [tournament], just crushing the ball.”