Three games, four at-bats, no hits. His time in Chicago is over.
Seiya Suzuki is coming back, and someone had to go. For the Chicago Cubs, that someone turned out to be Dylan Carlson, who was designated for assignment Thursday to clear a roster spot for the returning outfielder.
Suzuki had been sidelined since before Opening Day, nursing a knee sprain he picked up while representing Japan at the World Baseball Classic. The injury wasn't considered serious, but it kept him off the field for the first two weeks of the regular season. He spent five games on a rehab assignment with Double-A Knoxville, where he hit .429 with two doubles, enough to convince the organization he was ready to rejoin the big-league club.
Manager Craig Counsell was measured in his expectations for Suzuki's immediate workload, telling reporters — including Bruce Levine of 670 The Score — that the veteran won't be thrown back into an everyday role right away. The plan is to ease him in, with the expectation that he'll settle into a regular lineup spot once he's reacclimated to the pace of a major league schedule.
While Suzuki was out, Matt Shaw stepped into right field — a position he had never played professionally before this season. Shaw handled the assignment with more than just competence. He posted a 108 wRC+ with two home runs in 39 plate appearances, and his glove work earned him a positive Defensive Run Saved mark over 81 innings. With Suzuki back, Shaw figures to slide into a utility role, his outfield experiment serving as an unexpected audition that he passed.
Carlson's departure is a quieter story, but a telling one. The former Cardinals prospect signed with Chicago on a minor league deal in late January and earned a big-league roster spot by hitting .298/.421/.404 across 20 spring training games. But the regular season was brief and unproductive — three games, four at-bats, no hits. His time in Chicago is over before it really began.
The arc of Carlson's career has been a slow fade from promise. Once regarded as a top prospect in St. Louis, he was traded to Tampa Bay at the 2024 deadline in exchange for right-hander Shawn Armstrong. He landed in Baltimore last season, where he managed only part-time work and posted a 74 wRC+. His career OPS sits at .683 — the kind of number that keeps a player in the conversation but rarely keeps him on a roster.
The Cubs also announced a second roster move Thursday: reliever Phil Maton is headed to the injured list with a knee injury of his own. Maton was the centerpiece of Chicago's bullpen overhaul this winter, signing a two-year, $14.5 million deal. He opened the season with two clean outings, but his last three appearances were rough — two earned runs allowed in each one. His final outing before the IL came in a low-leverage spot against Tampa Bay, with Chicago leading 7-0 in the eighth. Three hits and a hit-by-pitch later, two runs had scored and Counsell needed Caleb Thielbar to close out the inning.
Ethan Roberts was recalled to fill Maton's spot. Roberts had already been up over the weekend as the 27th man for a doubleheader against Cleveland, pitching in the second game and recording the final two outs of the eighth inning after allowing an inherited runner to score. He's now appeared in parts of four seasons with the Cubs, carrying a 4.91 ERA across 44 innings at the major league level.
The Cubs enter this stretch of the season with their lineup closer to full strength than it's been since spring. How quickly Suzuki finds his footing — and whether Maton's knee proves to be a short-term concern or something more — will shape what this roster actually looks like over the weeks ahead.
Notable Quotes
Suzuki will not play every day immediately upon his return, with the expectation that he'll settle into a regular role once reacclimated to the big-league schedule.— Manager Craig Counsell, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Suzuki's return matter so much to this team?
He's their best outfielder, and they've been playing without him since day one. Getting him back changes the lineup's ceiling considerably.
What does it say that Matt Shaw played right field for the first time professionally and actually held his own?
It says the Cubs have more positional flexibility than they might have expected. Shaw's a young infielder who just proved he can contribute in multiple ways — that's a useful thing to know.
Carlson hit nearly .300 in spring training and still couldn't stick. What does that tell us?
Spring numbers are a tryout, not a guarantee. He earned the roster spot, but once the real games started, he couldn't produce. Three games is a short leash, but that's the margin when rosters are tight.
Is Carlson's career essentially over at this point?
Not over, but the window is narrowing. He's been traded, bounced between organizations, and now designated for assignment before May. Someone will give him a look, but the top-prospect label is long gone.
Maton signed for $14.5 million and is already on the IL. How worried should Cubs fans be?
Cautiously concerned. A knee injury on a reliever who just had three bad outings in a row is not a great combination. The timing and severity will tell the real story.
What's the broader picture here — is this just routine roster shuffling or something more?
Mostly routine, but it's a reminder of how fragile a bullpen is. The Cubs rebuilt theirs this winter and one of the key pieces is already sidelined. Roberts is a capable arm, but he's not what Maton was supposed to be.