Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was out of the Cubs lineup Monday against the Royals with a bruised right knee, manager Craig Counsell announced, an injury Crow-Armstrong sustained on a slide Sunday.
“[He] just banged it up and woke up and felt a little swollen,” manager Craig Counsell said before the Cubs’ 12-4 loss. “So we’re just going to try to give him the day [Monday], and hopefully back in there [Tuesday].”
Seiya Suzuki, who typically serves as designated hitter, took Crow-Armstrong’s place in the field, with right-handed-hitting Justin Turner starting at DH against Royals lefty starter Noah Cameron (4-4).
Counsell said Crow-Armstrong isn’t sure exactly when he hurt his knee Sunday. But Counsell theorized, based on replays, that it was on his failed attempt to steal third in the second inning. He and Crow-Armstrong argued after the rundown that Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet had been blocking third base before making the tag.
“That’s why it was a blocking-the-bag situation, because the slide was altered — clearly altered,” Counsell reiterated Monday. “If you watch the slide and replay, it’s not a normal-looking slide.”
Monday was just the second time Crow-Armstrong has been out of the starting lineup this season. Suzuki, who spent some time in center field during spring training, played his first regular-season major-league game at the position.
Suzuki clocked
The first inning ended on a fluky play as Suzuki, who appeared to be adjusting equipment after a foul ball, was called out on a pitch-clock violation.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was just the fourth time a Cubs batter has been called out on a clock violation since the pitch clock was implemented in 2023 and the first time since Miguel Amaya was punched out on an automatic strike last August. The other two occurrences came at the expense of Christopher Morel in 2023.
There have been more than 110 automatic strike-three calls across the majors over the last three seasons, according to Elias.
Outfield defense
Suzuki got an ovation from the Wrigley Field crowd with his defense in the sixth, catching a fly ball off the bat of Jac Caglianone a step away from the wall in left-center. The next inning, right fielder Kyle Tucker made an even more spectacular catch, jumping into the retaining wall up the right-field line to rob Bobby Witt Jr. of a hit.
Homer-happy
Rookie Matt Shaw continued his hitting streak out of the All-Star break with a three-run homer in the second — his second long ball in four games since the break.
The Cubs had two home runs Monday, with Carson Kelly contributing the other But the Royals had four. The game was so lopsided by the ninth inning that utilityman Jon Berti made his third pitching appearance of the year, throwing a scoreless inning.