Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson left Sunday’s game versus the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning with what the team announced as “left side discomfort.”
Swanson came out after swinging and missing at a 96 mph Hunter Dobbins fastball on the outside middle of the strike zone. After missing, Swanson immediately threw his helmet down and squatted outside the batter’s box in pain.
Replay appeared to show that Swanson appeared to hurt his right hand, squeezing and releasing it after he dropped his bat. He may have also twisted his wrist on the follow-through. But the Cubs soon confirmed that Swanson injured his side, possibly an oblique.
After the team trainer and manager Craig Counsell came out to check on Swanson, he left the game and was replaced during the plate appearance by James Triantos. Triantos then drew a walk.
Dobbins recovered to retire Michael Conforto on a pop-up to shortstop and Miguel Amaya on a strikeout. His next pitch, a 94 mph fastball to Pete Crow-Armstrong, was low, but caught the middle of the zone and the Cubs center fielder hit it out for a 2-run home run. That cut the Cardinals’ lead to 3-2.
Triantos stayed in the game to play second base, while Nico Hoerner moved over to take Swanson’s place at shortstop.
Swanson came into Sunday’s game with a .216/.300/.404 slash line with 18 home runs, 16 doubles, 66 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 458 plate appearances this season.
In the field, he’s been excellent at shortstop. Advanced metrics credit him with 6 Defensive Runs Saved and 16 Outs Above Average in 1,020 innings, ranking among the MLB leaders at the position.
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