Chicago Cubs Get Rid of Outfielder to Make Room for Seiya Suzuki’s Return
Seiya Suzuki is back with the Chicago Cubs after starting the regular season on the injured list, and to make room on the active roster, the team has designated outfielder Dylan Carlson for assignment. It’s a mild surprise, as most felt Scott Kingery would be ousted, but the Cubs are keeping the veteran to add depth to the infield, while this past week cemented Michael Conforto’s place on the team, and hinted at Carlson’s departure.
The Cubs signed Carlson back in January, adding more competition to the bench, but the switch-hitter wasn’t really used through the first two weeks of the regular season. With Suzuki sidelined, Craig Counsell used Matt Shaw and Conforto in right field, and against the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this week, Conforto filled in for Ian Happ, who was dealing with a bruise on his left heel.
Meanwhile, Carlson appeared in a total of three games off the bench and had a total of four at-bats.
So, the Cubs bench now looks like this with Suzuki’s return from the injured list: Backup catcher, Matt Shaw, Michael Conforto, Scott Kingery.
As for Suzuki, Counsell said on Friday that the right-handed hitting slugger won’t immediately be playing every day after missing the first 12 games of the season. Suzuki was placed on the injured list because of a knee sprain that he suffered when he attempted to steal second base in the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic, playing for team Japan in the middle of March.
The Cubs sent Suzuki out for a rehab assignment to Double-A with the Knoxville Smokies last week. He played in five games and went 6-for-14, with a pair of doubles, and two walks in 17 plate appearances. Suzuki started three games in right field and was the designated hitter in two others as he ramped up for his comeback.
Although the Cubs’ offense looked great in their last two games, the team is certainly pleased to have Suzuki back in the middle of the batting order. The team had the third-lowest batting average in the first 10 games of the year, and ranked 25th in MLB with an 84 wRC+.
While there were some tough moments on defense, the Cubs did well enough in right field without Suzuki, as the guys filling in combined to slash .236/.306/.432, posting a 98 wRC+ in the 12 games Suzuki missed.