MILWAUKEE – Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson isn’t sure yet how long his bruised left heel will keep him sidelined. He said after the Cubs’ 6-5 loss to the Brewers on Thursday that he didn’t know if he’d return for any of the Cubs’ games in New York this weekend or play in the All-Star game next week.
“We knew coming into today it would probably be a little bit sore and aggravated and didn’t want to make any rash decisions,” Swanson said. “So it’s something that we definitely will have discussions about over the next day or so.”
Swanson hurt his heel Wednesday in the fifth inning of the Cubs’ 4-3 comeback win. He hit a sharp ground ball to third base and, while trying to beat out the double play, he was caught in between a lunge and a normal stride and landed awkwardly.
He remained in the game for the next couple innings but exited before the bottom half of the seventh. Nico Hoerner moved from second base to shortstop and Christopher Morel slid over to second. That’s how they started Thursday’s game as well.
“Feels better than expected,” manager David Ross said of Swanson. “… I think he expected it to be pretty bad, knowing he had dealt with this [before].”
Back in 2019, Swanson sustained a similar injury to his right foot. He was on the injured list for a month.
“A little bit sore today,” Swanson said, “but overall, I definitely feel like I’m in a better place than I was then.”
Swanson expects he and the Cubs will have a “clearer picture” of their plan Friday, after seeing how his heel reacts to the flight to New York and a full day of rest.
With the All-Star break coming up, if the Cubs did decide to put Swanson on the 10-day IL, he would be eligible to return after missing just six games.
“He does have a sense of how bad it got when he pushed it last time,” Ross said. “So we’re going to try to balance that.”
Stroman out of All-Star Game
Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman reiterated after the game that he’s decided not to play in the All-Star game, as he told the Sun-Times Wednesday. He added Thursday that he wasn’t sure if he’d make the trip to Seattle.
“It’s been a lot since the [World Baseball Classic] coming into this year, I’ve made every start – which I’m thankful for, grateful for everyone that’s been involved,” Stroman said, highlighting members of the Cubs’ high performance staff. “It’s been a huge process. So, very thankful for everybody who’s helped me get to this point. But definitely looking forward to having a little bit of a break, restore my energy, clear my mind and have a good second half.”
Stroman made two starts for Puerto Rico in the WBC this spring and recorded his MLB-leading 19th start on Thursday, allowing four runs in five innings against the Brewers.
Arizona report
Cubs reliever Nick Burdi has worked up to throwing long toss at the Cubs’ Arizona spring training complex. Burdi underwent an appendectomy in late May. The Cubs transferred him to the 60-day IL last month, so he won’t be eligible to be activated for another couple weeks.
