Well, better late than never. Seiya Suzuki began the season on the 10-day injured list, and while everyone would have preferred a speedier recovery, the right fielder is set to return to the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Suzuki began a rehab assignment at Double-A this past weekend with the Knoxville Smokies, and he’ll continue to play in the minor leagues for a few more days before joining the Cubs after their road trip wraps up against the Tampa Bay Rays. The 31-year-old suffered a right knee sprain back in March, when he played for Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
The Cubs’ offense desperately needs Suzuki back, as the team currently ranks 25th in MLB with a .334 slugging %, and they have only hit nine home runs in nine games, tied for the sixth fewest in baseball. By the way, Ian Happ has hit four of the team’s nine home runs so far in 2026.
Cubs’ manager Craig Counsell told the media on Sunday what the plan is for Suzuki this week.
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“Seiya (Suzuki) is gonna stay in rehab, and he’ll play in Knoville on Tuesday and Wednesday, then he’ll rejoin us on Friday in Chicago.”
In 2025, Suzuki had the best season of his MLB career, hitting 31 home runs and having 103 RBI in 151 games. The offense has been brutal to watch so far in 2026 and currently ranks 18th in runs and 19th in wRC+ at 89.
Suzuki’s rehab has been a bit longer than we had all hoped for, but it seems as though the Cubs wanted him to be 100% ready to resume his role in right field, rather than bringing him back and only having him as a DH at first. The Cubs have used Matt Shaw and Michael Conforto to fill in for Suzuki in right field, and both players have had their bad moments on defense. Meanwhile, those two have combined to go 6-for-31 at the plate, with Shaw hitting the only home run between the two players.
So, hopefully there aren’t any setbacks this week, and Suzuki will be back in the lineup on Friday, when the Cubs begin a weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field.
(Previous Update)
The most optimistic outlook for Seiya Suzuki’s return to the Chicago Cubs was some time in the second week of the regular season. 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.”
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.
