The most optimistic outlook for Seiya Suzuki’s return to the Chicago Cubs was some time this week. The slugging right fielder began the 2026 season on the 10-day injured list, but considering the team was wavering on his Opening Day status, you would think Suzuki would have only missed the minimum time on the injured list. Well, the latest Suzuki injury update is not what the Cubs were hoping for.
Suzuki, who last played in a game on March 14 in the World Baseball Classic, is nearing a rehab assignment. On Sunday, Cubs manager Craig Counsell told Cubs.com that Suzuki has been progressing well as the outfielder recovers from his right knee sprain. However, the timeline now appears to be slightly longer than initially anticipated.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said it is possible that the outfielder might be ready to head out on a Minor League rehab assignment “at some point” during the team’s upcoming road trip.
“Right now,” Counsell said on Sunday morning, “that looks like where we’re trending.”
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Following this week’s three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels, the Cubs will begin a six-game road trip on Friday against the Cleveland Guardians, then play another three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. So, maybe we’re talking about an extra week sidelined for Suzuki, who would have been eligible to return from the injured list this week at home against the Angels.
Now, we’re looking at Suzuki coming back next week, when the Cubs are on the road against the Rays. So far, Matt Shaw and Michael Conforto have filled in for Suzuki in right field. The pair combined to go 1-for-9 against the Washington Nationals in the opening series at Wrigley Field.
It sucks because the way the Cubs talked about Suzuki at first, before Opening Day, led fans to believe he wouldn’t miss more than the minimum 10 days on the injured list. It’s frustrating, and I guess you just can’t bank on everyone recovering how you like. Injuries can be tricky, and at the very least, the Cubs aren’t rushing back Suzuki.
(Previous Update)
I’m sure most, if not all, 30 MLB fan bases feel like their respective team handles injuries poorly, and that is certainly the case for the Chicago Cubs. So, without a doubt, fans started to roll their eyes this past weekend when the team revealed that Seiya Suzuki would not be available for Opening Day this Thursday against the Washington Nationals.
Suzuki, who hit 32 home runs and drove in 103 runs in 2025, injured his right PCL playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. The Cubs were hopeful that he would recover in time for Opening Day, but as soon as the team announced he wouldn’t, fans began to wonder if they would have to sit through the tiresome waiting game the Cubs seem to love to play with injuries.
Again, this happens throughout the league, but it’s no less annoying. A player gets injured, and instead of placing them on the injured list immediately, they want to wait it out to see if they can recover within the 10-day period. Then that player isn’t recovering as the team had hoped, and they end up going on the injured list anyway, all the while the team is playing a man down for a week or so.
Well, this time around, the Cubs actually made the smart decision with Suzuki. Instead of trying to thread the needle and limit the amount of games missed, the team has decided to place Suzuki on the 10-day injured list heading into Opening Day.
