Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki to IL; Michael Conforto to Join Roster – MLB News

The Chicago Cubs will begin the 2026 season without outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, manager Craig Counsell confirmed Monday.

To fill the roster spot, the Cubs are selecting the contract of outfielder Michael Conforto, who signed a minor league deal with the team during the offseason. The decision to place Suzuki on the injured list clarifies his availability, after initial uncertainty about whether he would simply be unavailable for the opening series.

Suzuki, 31, enjoyed a career year in 2025, playing in 151 games and hitting 32 home runs with a .245 batting average. He is entering the final year of a five-year, $85 million contract and will become a free agent following the season.

With Suzuki sidelined, Conforto will compete for playing time alongside non-roster invitees Dylan Carlson and Kevin Alcantara. Both Carlson and Conforto signed minor league deals hoping to revitalize their careers after challenging 2025 seasons with the Dodgers and Orioles, respectively. Alcantara, a former top prospect, has struggled with strikeouts in Triple-A.

On the pitching side, right-hander Javier Assad was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Assad, 27, pitched 37 innings in the majors last season, posting a 3.65 ERA despite a low 15% strikeout rate. He has bounced between the rotation and bullpen since his debut in 2022 and remains a controllable player for two more years via arbitration.

Right-hander Ben Brown has secured the final spot in the Cubs’ bullpen. Brown, 26, had a 5.92 ERA in 106 1/3 innings last year but showed improved results as a reliever, with a 4.99 ERA and a significantly higher strikeout rate (30.5%) compared to his starter numbers (23.8%). He has one minor league option remaining and is under team control for five more seasons.