NEWSLETTER
Last season, before the first Cactus League game of the year (on February 25), Seiya Suzuki injured his oblique and missed all of Spring Training. From there, he needed 42 days before he began his Minor League rehab assignment (on April 8), which lasted four games. Two days after his final game in Iowa (on April 14), Suzuki made his way back to the Chicago Cubs lineup, where he promptly homered against the Dodgers in his 2023. All together, Suzuki was “out” for 48 days.
So if he followed the exact same trajectory with his oblique injury this season, Suzuki would return to the Cubs on June 1. Including yesterday’s win over the Diamondbacks, that would results in 44 missed games for the Cubs slugging right fielder. Not great, especially with the Cubs offense scuffling of late.
But is there a reason to believe he can go quicker this time around? Actually, yes. Or, at the very least, “maybe.” Jed Hoyer joined 670 The Score this afternoon, and explained one key difference between last year’s oblique injury and this one. And how that could mean a slightly quicker return for Seiya Suzuki.
Q: How does this Seiya oblique injury compare to the last one?
HOYER: Unclear. I think last time it was more on one swing. This one kinda crept up on us a little bit. He says this one wasn’t on one swing. Hopefully he can heal quickly and get back. The time frame last year is a little hard to figure, because he did it right before the first spring training game last year, which means he had no build up, he had no at-bats. So we had to take it a little bit longer last year with the rehab because he needed a Spring Training. So the hope is that ideally he’ll come out a little quickly than last year’s time table.
Okay, so the thinking there is that Suzuki had to slow his return last season because he wasn’t already geared up for the year, having missed all of spring training. But this year, by contrast, he’s already done his ramp up and can therefore return sooner than the 48 days it took last season. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt to know that this oblique injury happened to his opposite side, so it’s not a reaggravation of the same injury.
So if 48 days brought us to June 1, perhaps the Cubs are targeting the end of May? That sure would be a GREAT time for Suzuki to return, because look at the Cubs schedule from May 21st – June 1:
Getting Suzuki back before (or even just during!) that ten game stretch against the Braves, Cardinals, and Brewers could be a HUGE swing for the Cubs compared to getting him back just after. One player can only affect a game so much (especially if he’s coming back from an injury), but still.
So here’s hoping Jed Hoyer’s tempered optimism relative to last season is well-founded. Because getting Suzuki back even one week quicker than 2023 might wind up being pretty significant for the 2024 Chicago Cubs.
(Related but I couldn’t find a place to include it, so I’m just dropping it here at the end: It’s notable, to me (a not-doctor), that Hoyer said this oblique injury crept up on Suzuki, as opposed to happening on one swing. Somehow, that makes me feel less concerned than one big pop. Perhaps, once he returns, there’ll be some more days at DH for Suzuki throughout the season and rest of his career. Just a guess. Meanwhile, Hoyer says the Cubs are looking at Suzuki’s body, how he trains, and how the Cubs work with him to help avoid similar injuries in the future).
