Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson exited Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning, and man, it looked rough. The team officially called it “left side discomfort,” but his reaction on the field was something else. This isn’t just a routine benching, folks; this could be a major problem for the Cubbies as they navigate the long haul of the season.
That 96 MPH Fastball That Just Changed Everything
Picture this: bottom of the third, Swanson steps up to the plate. Hunter Dobbins, that Cardinals pitcher, fires a 96 mph fastball, right on the outside middle. Swanson goes for it, full hack, and completely whiffs. You know that feeling when you swing so hard you almost fall over? It looked like that, but worse. Immediately after the miss, Swanson didn’t just walk away. He threw his helmet down in disgust, then squatted outside the batter’s box, clearly in pain. Nobody wants to see their star player react like that.
Initially, replays made it look like it might have been his right hand or wrist. You could see him squeezing and releasing his hand after he dropped the bat, like he’d twisted it on the follow-through. But the Cubs quickly clarified, confirming it was his side, with the dreaded word “oblique” floating around as a possibility. Manager Craig Counsell and the team trainer hustled out to check on him, and after a brief chat, Swanson walked off the field. James Triantos stepped in to finish the plate appearance, and credit where credit’s due, he drew a walk. You gotta take those small victories when your heart’s in your throat watching your star go down.
Crow-Armstrong Provides a Spark, But Swanson’s Bat Is Missed
Dobbins, to his credit, managed to compose himself after the whole Swanson incident. He retired Michael Conforto on a pop-up and then struck out Miguel Amaya. But the Cubs weren’t totally out of it. On Dobbins’ very next pitch, a 94 mph fastball that was low but caught the middle of the zone, Pete Crow-Armstrong absolutely crushed it for a 2-run home run. That blast cut the Cardinals’ lead to 3-2, giving the Cubbies a flicker of hope. Triantos stayed in the game, moving to second base, while Nico Hoerner shifted over to cover shortstop, filling the massive void left by Swanson.
And let’s be real, Swanson leaves a huge hole in that lineup. He came into Sunday’s game with a .216 batting average, a .300 on-base percentage, and a .404 slugging percentage. More importantly, he’s a power and speed threat with 18 home runs, 16 doubles, 66 RBI, and 17 stolen bases across 458 plate appearances this season. Those are big numbers, the kind of production you need from your shortstop.
The Cubs and their fans are gonna be absolutely desperate for an update on Swanson. Losing a player with his blend of power and speed, especially with those 66 RBI already on the board, would be a brutal blow at this point in the season. Every single Cubbies fan is going to be glued to their phone, waiting for any news on how serious this “left side discomfort” really is. Here’s hoping it’s nothing too major, because they’ll need him back out there, making those big plays and driving in those runs, if they want to make some noise.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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