Seiya Suzuki News: Seen as emergency CF option only

While Suzuki started in center field Monday with Pete Crow-Armstrong (knee) out of the lineup, the team would like to add depth at the position before the trade deadline and not rely on Suzuki to fill in, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Monday marked Suzuki's first career MLB appearance in center field, as he's primarily played in right or served as the DH for the Cubs since coming over from Japan in 2022. The team started him there out of necessity with Crow-Armstrong's sore knee keeping him out of the lineup, but Chicago seems likely to target a veteran center fielder before the deadline to provide insurance. When fully healthy, the Cubs will roll out Ian Happ, Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker from left to right most days, with Suzuki sliding back into the DH role. The latter has excelled in that role this year, as his 26 home runs and 80 RBI are both among the top six in the majors.