An MRI revealed that Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki strained his PCL after injuring his right knee while trying to steal second base during the Samurai’s 8-5 loss to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell called the update “good news” and noted that the injury is “minor in nature,” MLB.com reported.
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The club has not yet decided whether to place the 31-year-old Suzuki on the injured list before Opening Day. The call will take place this weekend. Chicago will face the Washington Nationals on March 26, Suzuki’s fifth season with the team.
Suzuki is entering the final season of his contract after a 32-homer, 103-RBI season in 2025 that sent the Cubs back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
That five-year contract ended up costing about $100 million, according to The Athletic , when including the release fee Chicago owed his former Nippon Professional Baseball club.
Suzuki competed in this year’s WBC after missing an oblique injury when his Japanese teammate won the 2023 international title.
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In four WBC games this year, he went 3-for-9 with five RBIs and six walks. He hit two home runs against South Korea in Group C.
After suffering the injury in the first inning on Saturday, Suzuki eventually flew back to Arizona to rejoin the Cubs for the final part of spring training.
Although Suzuki spent most of last season as the designated hitter, he is expected to serve as the Cubs’ primary right fielder in 2026.
If he misses time early in the year, someone else could take his place, teaming with left fielder Ian Happ and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Possible replacements include Matt Shaw and Michael Conforto.
