Chicago Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki will miss MLB Opening Day due to WBC injury

Why Caleb Williams will elevate into the top 10 QB rankings | Chicago Sports Tonight

The Score's Matt Spiegel joined Cassie Carlson and Tina Nguyen in studio on CST. The panel previews MLB Opening Day, which is just a week away. Will Cade Horton develop into an ace, and could Daniel Palencia be an elite closer? Plus, where will Caleb Williams rank among QB's next season and why is there a good chance he elevates further into the top 10.

The Chicago Cubs will be without one of the top offensive players for the 2026 MLB Opening Day next week.

Seiya Suzuki, who suffered a knee injury in the World Baseball Classic playing for Japan, will not be healthy to be in the lineup for the Cubs' Opening Day lineup next week.

What they're saying:

Suzuki will not be ready for next Thursday's season-opener against the Nationals at Wrigley Field.

"Opening Day, it's not going to happen," Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters on Saturday. 

Suzuki injured the PCL in his right knee in the WBC in a game against Venezuela on March 14. 

That injury will keep him out of the game day lineup. He has done some light throwing and hitting drills, according to MLB.com.

In Suzuki's place, the Cubs can turn to Michael Conforto or Matt Shaw, who has been getting experience in right field during spring training, as Suzuki recovers. The Cubs could also give top outfielder prospect Kevin Alcántara a shot.

Suzuki's offense will be missed early on. He had 32 home runs, 103 RBI and a .245 batting average in the 2025 season.

What's next:

The Cubs have until next week to decide how much time Suzuki will miss.

If Suzuki's knee requires more time, then he could land on the injured list. The Cubs don't have to make that decision now. But, they need to make that decision soon.

"Once you get past Opening Day, we've got to make a decision, does it just make sense to give him some time," Counsell told reporters. "We've got time to make that decision."