Seiya to open season on IL; Brown wins Cubs' final bullpen spot

MESA, Ariz. -- Wearing a bulky, modified brace on his right knee, Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki expressed confidence on Monday morning that he would not be sidelined for a significant amount of time at the front end of this season.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced on Monday that Suzuki will open the year on the 10-day injured list, removing one of the lineup’s top power threats from the equation out of the gates. Suzuki had already been ruled out for Opening Day (1:20 p.m. CT against the Nationals on Thursday), so the Cubs want to be careful with his comeback.

“I was worried in the beginning,” Suzuki said via his interpreter, Edwin Stanberry. “But day to day, the pain’s gone down and it’s been feeling better each day. Obviously, you don’t want to rush it, but I want to make sure it heals and then come back to the team.”

The Cubs will have the ability to make Suzuki’s IL stint retroactive to Monday, making April 1 against the Angels technically the first day the outfielder would be eligible for activation. Waiting until the subsequent road trip (April 3-5 at Cleveland and April 6-8 at Tampa Bay) might be a more realistic window, if Suzuki progresses quickly in his rehab program.

Counsell was not ready to make any firm predictions on Suzuki’s timeline right now.

“I don't know if I can answer that right now,” said the manager. “We’ve just got to have a good week, then I think we can start to more accurately tell you when he’s going to be back.”

Suzuki injured his knee on a stolen base attempt for Team Japan in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal loss to Venezuela on March 14. The outfielder was diagnosed with a minor sprain of the posterior cruciate ligament and has been ramping up his activity over the past week. He added light running, as well as seeing higher-velocity pitching via a Trajekt machine, during Monday’s workout.

Suzuki still has several steps to clear before being deemed ready to rejoin the Cubs.

“Defense and also running,” Suzuki said, “gradually increasing the intensity. You need to obviously have some level to be able to play in a game. So, I’ll make sure I check those boxes individually and then it’s communicating with the trainers and seeing how my knee feels day by day.”

Last season, Suzuki finished with career highs in home runs (32), walks (71) and RBIs (103), while also posting 31 doubles, a .478 slugging percentage and a 130 OPS+ for the Cubs. The right fielder then hit another three homers with a .613 SLG in eight postseason games in Chicago’s run to the National League Division Series.

Given Suzuki’s importance to the offense, the Cubs want to make sure he is fully healthy before returning.

“He’s progressing well and he’s doing different drills. He’s hitting and things like that,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “Things are moving in the right direction, but it’s a long season. We don’t want to do anything [to have Suzuki] a couple days early that would hurt us later on.”

The North Siders informed veteran outfielder Michael Conforto, a non-roster invitee, over the weekend that he would be on the Opening Day roster. Super-utility man Matt Shaw is also an option for right field while Suzuki is sidelined. Chicago is still discussing how to fill out the two remaining bench spots, including exploring external options.

Outfielder Kevin Alcántara is on the 40-man roster, while veteran outfielder Dylan Carlson is still also in camp as a non-roster invitee. Chicago also has a non-roster bench candidate in veteran infielder Scott Kingery. With Shaw currently acting as the only backup infielder, the Cubs are debating whether they should include an extra infielder on the Opening Day roster.

“We have some decisions,” Hoyer said.

Brown gets final Opening Day bullpen job

Counsell also announced Monday that right-hander Ben Brown will be in the Opening Day bullpen as a multi-inning option, completing Chicago's planned pitching staff. Righty Javier Assad will be optioned to Triple-A Iowa, where he will continue to build up as a starter.

Brown showed up to Spring Training in great condition and impressed the Cubs with the offseason work he put in, with some help from Mets veteran Clay Holmes. This spring, the 26-year-old righty turned in a 2.63 ERA with 19 strikeouts and five walks in 13 2/3 innings, while showing off a new sinker.

“He’s been impressive,” Hoyer said. “You see it, physically, in him. He put on some really good weight this offseason and he’s thrown really well. His attitude’s been fantastic. He’s up for anything. He spent the winter in a really productive way.”