MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Seiya Suzuki will miss the Chicago Cubs’ season opener after suffering a minor ligament strain in his right knee during the World Baseball Classic, manager Craig Counsell said Saturday.
The team was mulling whether to place him on the injured list.
“Opening day is not going to happen,” Counsell said. “(He’s) not going to be ready to play on opening day. We’ve got to make a decision. Once you get past opening day, we’ve got to make a decision: Does it just make sense to just give him some time. We’ve got time to make that decision, but that’s kind of where we’re at.”
The Cubs open against Washington at Wrigley Field on Thursday.
Suzuki got hurt in Japan’s 8-5 loss to Venezuela in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal March 14 in Miami. He walked gingerly to the dugout after a headfirst slide into second base when he was caught stealing in the first inning. Suzuki was replaced in center field after the end of that half-inning.
The 31-year-old returned to the Cubs’ spring training facility on Monday, when he was seen walking slowly with a soft brace on the injured knee. Suzuki underwent imaging to determine the extent of the injury.
Suzuki is going into the final season of an $85 million, five-year contract. He has hit .269 with 87 home runs and 296 RBIs in 532 games for the Cubs, including a team-leading 103 RBIs with 32 homers in 2025.
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