Designated hitter Seiya Suzuki returned to the lineup for the Cubs’ 3-0 win Saturday against the Reds, after a sprained right ankle sidelined him for two games. And he picked up where he left off, going 2-for-2 with two walks.
Suzuki has essentially replicated his production from last year, in a season where offense is down MLB-wide. And again, he’s finishing on an especially high note. He entered Saturday hitting .330 with a .976 OPS over the past five weeks – putting him in the Top 10 among qualified hitters in both categories.
Manager Craig Counsell praised Suzuki for his all-around offensive season, while lamenting the oblique strain that sidelined him for three and a half weeks in April and May.
“I think Seiya was going to have a monster season, a really big season,” Counsell said. “And on the way back in, it cost him some consistency. Because I think he was really locked in, and I think we would have seen even a little bit more there.”
Since mid-August, Suzuki has primarily been serving as the designated hitter. That can be a tough transition for some hitters, unused to filling that much time between at-bats. But Suzuki developed a successful routine with the stationary bike, medicine ball, jump rope, sprints in the hallway.
“I want to get that same feeling as when I’m playing right and then going into the box while I’m DHing,” he said. “So just getting creative with stuff I’m doing in between at-bats. … I might be more tired than playing the outfield.”
Imanaga gets Sunday off
Left-hander Shota Imanaga will not start for the Cubs on Sunday, manager Craig Counsell said, closing the book on an impressive rookie season. Rookie right-hander Caleb Kilian will instead take the mound.
Imanaga recorded a 2.91ERA in his first season stateside, making a smooth transition from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB. among qualified National League pitchers entering Saturday, his ERA ranked third and his walks per nine innings (1.45) second-best.
Whether Imanaga, who had already made 29 starts and pitched 173 ⅓ innings, would start the season finale remained up in the air for the past week. So, he prepared as if he was going to. Then right-hander Jameson Taillon pitched seven shutout innings Friday against the Reds, giving most of the bullpen a day off.
“We really feel like we’ve covered the innings for the rest of the season, essentially,” Counsell said. “Jamo’s start was a big deal in that yesterday. And just the risk-reward benefit was not there.”
Cam Smith at Wrigley
Third baseman Cam Smith, the Cubs’ 2024 first-round pick, visited Wrigley Field on Saturday.
“This is pomp and circumstance; it’s not going to help him play his first game,” Counsell said. “But he had a great [professional] debut, and I think that’s the most important thing. And for him to finish the season and reach Double-A, perform in Double-A, he’s got reason to be really excited and make the offseason really impactful and be eager for next spring.”
Smith climbed rapidly through three levels of the Cubs’ farm system – Single-A, High-A and Double-A – in less than two months.
“I like the aggressive decisions they made,” Smith said, admitting that even he was surprised by how quickly he rose. “It’s very encouraging. It just shows that they’re paying attention, and they’re watching you.”