CHICAGO (AP) — Seiya Suzuki has rejoined the Chicago Cubs after missing the start of the season with a sprained right knee.
Suzuki was activated from the 10-day injured list before Friday’s 2-0 loss to Pittsburgh. He started in right field and went 1 for 3 with a fourth-inning single in the series opener against the Pirates.
“I really wanted to come back to the team,” Suzuki said through a translator, “and it’s really thanks to the support of everybody that I’m here. Unfortunately, we lost. However, I got my first game under my belt. So just kind of focus on the next one.”
Outfielder Dylan Carlson was designated for assignment to make room for Suzuki on the roster. The Cubs also placed reliever Phil Maton on the 15-day IL and recalled right-hander Ethan Roberts from Triple-A Iowa. Roberts tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings in the loss to Pittsburgh.
Suzuki was one of Chicago’s most productive hitters last year, helping the Cubs reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020. He hit .245 with a career-high 32 homers and 103 RBIs in 151 games.
“We’re putting one of our middle-of-the-order bats back in the lineup,” manager Craig Counsell said before Friday’s game. “We’re putting somebody who had 30 home runs and drove in a ton of runs for us back in the lineup. So it’s a big addition, for sure.”
Ian Happ also returned to Chicago’s lineup. He started in left field and had two hits after missing two games with a bruised left heel.
The Cubs were back at Wrigley Field after splitting a six-game trip to Cleveland and Tampa Bay. They managed a total of 11 runs over the first four games before outscoring the Rays 15-4 in a pair of wins.
Suzuki, who is in the final season of an $85 million, five-year contract, got hurt while playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. He sprained the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee on a steal attempt on March 14.
Counsell said he is planning to be “somewhat cautious” with Suzuki for the next week.
“We’ll make sure we’re kind of just getting down the road and making sure he’s available as much as possible,” Counsell said.
The 31-year-old Suzuki hit .429 (6 for 14) with two doubles in five games in a rehab stint with Double-A Knoxville. He is a .269 hitter with 87 homers and 296 RBIs in 532 career major league games — all with the Cubs.
Suzuki said running was the most difficult part of his rehab activities.
“Hitting, in the early stages I think I was already ready,” he said, “but I think with running, fielding, there was a little bit of fear there. So I think going back down to Double-A and getting my reps in, I think I feel a lot better about that.”
Maton is dealing with some right knee tendinitis. He is 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in five appearances after signing a $14.5 million, two-year contract with the Cubs in free agency.
“I think it’s kind of just gradually gotten a little bit worse,” Counsell said. “Obviously he was pitching with it. But I think we saw real effects to it in his last outing in Tampa. The velocity was down and it was just a case of just not being able to sit into his back leg and drive off the mound.”
Chicago’s pitching staff has been hit hard with injuries. Right-hander Cade Horton is headed for season-ending elbow surgery, and left-hander Matthew Boyd was placed on the 15-day IL on Monday with a left biceps strain.
President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Dr. Keith Meister is going to perform the surgery on Horton, but he declined to provide an exact date. Hoyer also said they wouldn’t know the extent of the operation until it was underway.
“Best case from a recovery standpoint is just a brace,” Hoyer said, “but that is always unclear. If they go in and make repairs then it’ll probably add three months or so to the recovery.”
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