The Cubs will give Seiya Suzuki some time to figure things out. That kept him out of the lineup Saturday, and might do so for a little while longer.
Cubs manager David Ross said Suzuki - in the second year of a five-year, $85 million contract - is not in rhythm and the team can see how off he is. Since the All-Star break, Suzuki has slashed 218/.279/.333. On Friday, Suzuki struck out twice in three at-bats.
To get Suzuki in a better place, Ross and the Cubs are planning on having him work through his problems away from the glare of a game.
“I think he’s beating himself up a little bit, wanting to produce for the guys,” Ross said. “His heart is in the right place; he’s got to get his head in the right place. We’ve got to get his mechanics in the right place and just get him some things just to get him back going.”
As for how long this could last, Ross said “we’ll give him some time” and that Suzuki will be back when they feel like he can help the Cubs win games. In the thick of the race for the NL Central title and a wild-card spot, the Cubs don’t have the luxury of letting Suzuki swing his way out of his slump and must use the players who are performing, regardless of pedigree or salary.
“Some of the other guys are swinging the bat well. We’re really fortunate to have guys that are playing well,” Ross said. “Seiya has been a big part of our success to get to this point, and we need him to be good for us to continue to go where we want to go.”
The Cubs hope Suzuki can do that, and are trying to solve his woes without putting him into the batter’s box against another team.
“It is kind of trial and error,” Ross said. “You do have to get back into competition to gain that confidence to have results and all of those things. But we’re here to support him and we’re going to try to find out what works and it could be a little bit of trial and error but he’s going to put in the work. I promise you that.”
High praise for Assad
Mark Leiter Jr. didn’t mince words when discussing Javier Assad after Saturday’s game, praising him for how he pitched against the Braves in a spot start.
That was just part of what Leiter said.
“I think the world of [Assad],” Leiter said. “I think he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball, to be completely honest with you. Having been a long reliever, it’s the most difficult job in the game and he’s handled it like a machine. He’s able to do so many different things for us. He’s one of the most valuable players on our team, for sure.”
Entering Saturday, Assad had a 0.40 ERA in nine outings since June 27.
Stroman update
Pitcher Marcus Stroman (right hip inflammation) was scheduled to play catch Saturday. Stroman isn’t eligible to return from the injured list until Aug. 16.
