CHICAGO — After signing a seven-year, $177 million deal in December to be the centerpiece of the Chicago Cubs lineup, Dansby Swanson entered the final weekend of Cactus League play hitting .059.
It wasn’t just a subpar spring. No one in spring training with 30 or more at-bats had a lower batting average than the new Cubs shortstop.
In his first at-bat Friday in a 5-3 win against the Texas Rangers at Sloan Park, Swanson hit a slow roller to the right side but legged out an infield single thanks to a poor defensive play. He finished the day 1 for 3 to increase his average to .081.
