Bruce Levine talks Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki opening season on injured list
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Why is Seiya Suzuki starting the season on the injured list?
Layla Rahimi, Marshall Harris, Mark Grody, Rahimi, Harris, and Grody on 104.3 The Score. Gregman swings. It's a high fly ball. Deep left center field. Racing back. Brown at the wall. It's gone. Alex Bregman with his second home run of the spring.
What is the expected timeline for Seiya Suzuki's recovery?
And the Cubs now up 4-0 over the Brewers here in the third.
It was a nice day for the Cubs as they wallop the Milwaukee Brewers 12-0. Cade Horton also six strong innings. And yeah, Bruce, I know, I know. The Brewers didn't have any of their regulars. Lots of stuff going on with the Cubs, about which we will discuss with our baseball insider, Bruce Levine, in just a second, just to let everybody know what's going on.
Who has made the Cubs' opening day roster alongside Suzuki?
Seiya Suzuki will open the season on the injured list. The Cubs manager, Craig Council, did confirm that today. The club also informed pitcher Ben Brown that he will make the opening day roster. Javier Asad will be optioned to AAA and start the season in the Iowa rotation. You know Bruce Levine. He is on X at MLB. Bruce Levine, he covers the Cubs and the White Sox for 104.3, the score. Hello, Bruce. How are you?
Hi, guys. You gave all the information, so back to you.
Let's start with Seah. I guess, Bruce, it's not good that he's going on the injured list, but I guess best case scenario in terms of how little he will miss of the season to begin?
Council has alluded to the fact that it would be a short period of time, maybe a week or 10 days.
What are the implications of Michael Conforto's performance this season?
He has to go on the 10-day aisle. I think it can be... backtracked here, so he might miss a week if the knee comes around. He hasn't really done the full running part yet, started to hit in the cage and do some other drills, but when he gets into the full sprinting mode and recovers the next day okay, that's when things will be okay and he'll come off the IL. In the meantime, Michael Conforto has made the team, the veteran who Failed so miserably last year after having such a great career in New York and trying to make it back, had a relatively good spring. If you go by spring training statistics, hit the ball pretty hard. came into camp in good shape.
How is Matt Shaw's batting style affecting his gameplay?
So from that perspective, he's going to make the team. The one area that we don't know about and which is intriguing is the waiver wire. Everybody is releasing people over the next two days before the season starts. And with the fact that these rosters will have people that are leaving, the Cubs are looking for a backup infielder. They have Shaw, who's going to back up third and second. and play some right field. So they're comfortable with that. But they really don't have outside Nico Horner backup shortstop. They don't like taking a gold glove second baseman, moving him to short if Swanson has any issues health-wise. So even at AAA, they don't really have a shortstop of the quality they'll need to call up if somebody gets hurt.
So, Bruce, I'm curious because you talked about Michael Conforto. We know that it's going to be Cade Cavalli, a right-hander, on opening day. Is this a situation where you think Matt Shaw is just going to be out there in right field regardless of righty-lefty? Or does Michael Conforto have a say in this from Craig Council's purview?
Yeah, I mean, I don't think they would just grab Conforto and have him sit on the bench all year. So that's probably a game-time situation that he'll have to make that lineup out. And, you know, again, we know that Shaw is a number one pick, a guy that is moving positions, that will play all different positions. Honestly, I hope it's Matt Shaw, nothing against Conforto, but... If you're going to play at Wrigley Field and you're going to be able to accomplish playing that position, which is probably and arguably the toughest position in all of baseball because of the wall, the wind, the sun, the elements, I'd like to see him out there as much as possible, and that includes opening day. But that's me.
That's certainly not counsel saying that Conforto is a left-handed bat that they'll like in the lineup. We know Ballesteros is going to be the DH against Wrigley. almost all, if not all, of the right-handed pitchers that they face.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why is Seiya Suzuki starting the season on the injured list?
0:01–0:23
2
What is the expected timeline for Seiya Suzuki's recovery?
0:23–0:54
3
Who has made the Cubs' opening day roster alongside Suzuki?
0:54–1:44
4
What are the implications of Michael Conforto's performance this season?
1:44–2:31
5
How is Matt Shaw's batting style affecting his gameplay?
2:31–5:05
6
What role will Ben Brown play in the Cubs' bullpen this season?
5:05–5:50
7
How does the Cubs' rotation look for the upcoming games?
5:50–7:11
8
What lineup changes are expected for the Cubs this season?
7:11–14:51
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