The Chicago Cubs should soon get an offensive boost and shore up their defense in right field.
Manager David Ross indicated Monday that Seiya Suzuki could rejoin the Cubs during their upcoming West Coast trip to Los Angeles (Friday through Sunday) and Oakland (April 17-19), calling it a “best-case scenario” for Suzuki’s return. It would align with the team’s mid-April projection when Suzuki strained his left oblique in late February.
Suzuki is 2-for-5 with an RBI, a walk and a strikeout through two games of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa, which had Monday off. His injury prevented him from getting any plate appearances in the Cactus League before camp broke. Players usually get about 50 plate appearances in spring training to prepare for the season.
“We’re just kind of taking it day to day and making sure he feels comfortable,” Ross said before the Cubs beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 in 10 innings in the series opener at Wrigley Field. “He’s nowhere near that (number), so just trying to get him built up as much as possible.”
Suzuki would deepen a Cubs lineup that was able to string together hits to produce a two-run fourth inning against Mariners ace Luis Castillo. Cody Bellinger’s first double of the season tied the game at 1, and Trey Mancini and Eric Hosmer followed with back-to-back singles to put the Cubs ahead 2-1.
With the way the top third of the order — Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ — has looked to start the season, the Cubs need those guys in the middle to produce.
Left-hander Drew Smyly held the Mariners to one run and two hits in five innings, and Adbert Alzolay, Mark Leiter Jr. and Brad Boxberger put up zeroes to set up Michael Fulmer for a save opportunity. Jarred Kelenic took Fulmer deep for a 414-foot solo home run to right to tie the game with one out in the ninth.
Keegan Thompson pitched into a one-out, bases-loaded situation in the 10th but got out of it by striking out Ty France and getting a Eugenio Suarez forceout to set up the Cubs’ walk-off victory.
Nick Madrigal, pinch running at second base to begin the bottom of the 10th, produced a well-timed steal of third. He took off as Mariners reliever Matt Brash began his windup and made it safely when Brash made an off-balance throw to third after stepping off toward second when he saw Madrigal had taken off.
Hoerner capitalized, delivering a one-out single to right for his first big-league walk-off hit.
Suzuki also would bolster the defense in right field, where the Cubs have relied on a mix of players who aren’t true outfielders. Miles Mastrobuoni got his fourth start at the position Monday, while the Cubs also have used Mancini (three starts) and Patrick Wisdom (two) in right.
As the Cubs await Suzuki’s return, they recalled outfielder Nelson Velázquez from Iowa on Monday and optioned right-hander Javier Assad as the corresponding move. The addition of Velázquez, who went 12-for-33 (.364) with two doubles and three homers in eight games at Iowa, gives Ross an option when he wants a late-inning defensive upgrade in right.
Ross didn’t wait long to deploy Velázquez in that scenario. He took over in right in the top of the eighth as the Cubs held a one-run lead.
Assad wasn’t sharp in two multi-inning relief appearances. He surrendered six runs in 4⅓ innings, including three runs in three innings in the Cubs’ 8-2 loss Sunday to the Texas Rangers.
Assad will be used as a starter at Iowa to build up, get regular work and provide starting depth. The Cubs weren’t using him enough as a multi-inning reliever, in part because Thompson and Alzolay can fill that role too.
Ross didn’t rule out Assad returning to the Cubs bullpen at some point.
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