Chicago Notes: Suzuki, Taeyeon, Crochet

siya suzuki It was a late scratch from Cubs Lineup, as the team announced to reporters (incl Maddy Lee from the Chicago Sun-Times) that the outfielder was dealing with a tight left oblique. More will be known about Suzuki once he completes some testing, although for now, there is definitely concern about his condition given the wide range of recovery timelines associated with oblique injuries. Even if Suzuki’s problem was relatively minor, it could create an immediate problem with his planned participation in Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

A sprained finger cost Suzuki about six weeks into his first season in MLB, but he still hit . 262/.336/.433 with 14 homers over 446 appearances with the Cubs in 2022. Expect more from Suzuki in his sophomore year (especially for for the Cubs team who plans to be more competitive) but the first step in the business is to make sure he is healthy and his indirect injury doesn’t result in losing too much time.

A few more notes about both Windy City teams…

• the mets And Veles They are the other finalists Jameson Tellonlike John Hyman of the New York Post He writes that Philadelphia offered Taillon little more than the four years and $68 million he got from it Cubs. since Taeguan Walker Signed with the Phils for four years and $72 million, the Phillies could have offered similar deals to both pitchers and Walker agreed first, or Philadelphia Taillon could have chosen Chicago’s offer instead. However, Taillon said that “I thought I was going to be dead for a while,” noting that New York was also in the competition strongly. The mutual interest of both Taillon and the Cubs may have been the deciding factor, as “The Cubs made a really strong first impression“On the first day of free agency, the team”I made it clear from day one that I was a top priority. If you can just hang out and talk to me, it really works for me. They showed me a good plan. It was exciting. “
• the white stockings Tentatively aiming for May Garrett CrochetThe history of the Tommy John rehab comeback, according to MLB.com’s Sox standards Injuries and transactions page. Crochet had TJ’s surgery this past April, so the 13-month layoff will fit into his usual recovery schedule. The Sox have already said that Crochet will act as a reliever when he returns, so he will need to build less arm strength than a pitcher who has returned to a starting role. Crochet is scheduled to move from two game sessions per week to one high-intensity session per week, focusing on playing during extended spring training and then a minor league rehab stint.