The Cubs announced Saturday that shortstop Dansby Swanson had surgery on a core injury in early October, but he should be ready for spring training.
Swanson had a .242 batting average this past season with a .701 OPS — his lowest since 2018 — which might have been affected by several factors. Wrigley Field was heavily pitcher-friendly, but Swanson also battled a sprained right knee early in the season that landed him on the injured list for 1½ weeks in May.
He had been playing through discomfort before agreeing the time off was necessary. Swanson finished strong, batting .303 with seven doubles and four home runs in September.
“The No. 1 key is obviously, after any year, is getting healthy,” Swanson said after the final game of the season. “Battled through a lot mentally and physically this year, definitely one of the tougher ones in terms of stuff like that, but found a way to get through it.
“It was a tale of two halves, really; pretty rough first one, and then really found a groove and did a lot better in the second.”
Both of the Cubs’ starting middle infielders had surgery in October. Second baseman Nico Hoerner’s recovery timeline right forearm surgery is less clear, but he is not expected to be sidelined for an extended time in 2025.
The Cubs could make moves this winter that would shake up their middle infield. They have had wide-ranging trade discussions on a number of players, which have included preliminary talks with the Mariners about Hoerner.
Regardless, the Cubs have prospect depth up the middle, including Matt Shaw and James Triantos, who both rose to Triple-A last season.
NOTE: The Cubs also made left-hander Matthew Boyd’s signing to a two-year deal official Saturday. His contract is worth $29 million, and he could earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses, sources previously confirmed. The two sides agreed to terms Monday, but the deal couldn’t be finalized until after a physical.