Cubs Lose Dansby Swanson and Edward Cabrera to IL After Brutal Sunday
Craig Counsell noted before the game that the team is already concerned about depth, specifically mentioning the need for backup options if a starter goes down.
The just had the kind of Sunday that makes you want to delete the MLB app from your phone. Not only did they get blown out 11-4 by the St. Louis Cardinals to cap off a brutal weekend sweep, but they also lost their starting shortstop and a starting pitcher to the injured list in the process.
Dansby Swanson took one swing at a first pitch in the third inning, immediately grabbed his side, and is now staring down a Grade 2 left oblique strain. According to ESPN reporting, that specific injury usually carries a four-to-six-week recovery timeline, meaning the Cubs will be missing their infield anchor until at least mid-September.
Then there is Edward Cabrera, who was activated just in time to get absolutely shelled by St. Louis on Sunday, only to be immediately placed right back on the injured list. That is the baseball equivalent of walking into a room, knocking over an expensive lamp, and walking right back out.
Swanson has not exactly been setting the world on fire at the plate this year, hitting just .216 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs, but his glove is the glue holding that middle infield together. Now, manager Craig Counsell has to shuffle the deck, sliding Nico Hoerner over to shortstop and likely leaning on rookies like James Triantos and Pedro Ramírez to fill the void at second base.
If you are looking at the betting board for this week, the Cubs' run-prevention math just got a lot more complicated. Losing your premium defensive shortstop while your pitching staff is already a revolving door of IL stints is a reliable recipe for giving up crooked numbers.
Chicago gets a slight breather with a series against the crosstown Chicago White Sox starting Monday, which might be the only good news they get all week. But if Swanson is out for a month and the rotation keeps taking on water, the Cubs are going to need their rookies to grow up fast just to keep their heads above water down the stretch.