Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after imaging revealed a grade 2 oblique injury suffered in Sunday’s 11-4 loss to the Cardinals.
Swanson was forced out of yesterday’s contest after an awkward swing in the bottom of the third inning. At the time, the club called it a precautionary move after the 32 expressed discomfort in his left side. However, after the medical team was able to further evaluate him, Chicago announced that they would be placing Swanson on the injured list.
Given the usual timeline for recovery for such an injury, Swanson could be out of action for the duration of the regular season. While he should be ready for the start of the playoffs, that will do little to help a Cubs squad that’s trying to chase down the Brewers for top spot in the NL Central over the next month.
Chicago could get creative to replace the former Gold Glove winner in the lineup. Early reports suggest that Nico Hoerner could assume shortstop duties with rookie Pedro Ramirez taking over at second.
In corresponding moves, the team optioned James Triantos to Triple-A Iowa, and recalled outfielder Kevin Alcantara and infielder Owen Miller. The Cubs also placed RHP Edward Cabrera on the injured list, though it’s expected to be a short stint due to a blister. Javier Assad was then recalled from Iowa, with the expectation that David Peterson might be moved back into the rotation for the time being.
Miller is batting .296/.350/.457 with 10 stolen bases in 96 games for Iowa this year, and also has 303 games of MLB experience under his belt. To make room on the 40 man roster, RHP Daniel Palencia was moved to the 60-day IL, which should provide Chicago with some additional depth at shortstop down the homestretch of the season.
Prior to Monday’s game vs. the White Sox, the Cubs posted a line up featuring:
Pete Crow-Armstrong (CF)
Seiya Suzuki (RF)
Michael Busch (1B)
Alex Bregman (3B)
Ian Happ (LF)
Nico Hoerner (SS)
Pedro Ramirez (2B)
Michael Conforto (DH)
Carson Kelly (C)
Photo: Keiteay. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.