Cubs Put Dansby Swanson on 10-Day IL With Oblique Injury

Q: With oblique injuries notoriously lingering, can the Cubs' elite defense survive without their star shortstop anchoring the infield?

Yes, for a while — but not without a noticeable drop. Chicago is unusually well equipped to absorb a shortstop injury because Nico Hoerner can slide over and still give the Cubs plus defense at a premium spot. Hoerner is a two-time Gold Glove second baseman, and the Cubs have leaned on his versatility before. That matters for a club that entered Sunday leading MLB in fielding run value and outs above average. Still, Swanson is not just another infielder. He has been one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball this season, with 16 Outs Above Average and 6 Defensive Runs Saved, while also ranking near the top of the sport in fielding run value. Losing that kind of anchor almost certainly lowers the ceiling of the infield defense, even if Hoerner keeps it stable. As Hoerner put it, “There’s no replacing Dansby.” The larger issue is duration. If the MRI confirms more than a mild strain, oblique injuries often sideline players for several weeks and can linger even after a return. In that case, the challenge is less about Hoerner at shortstop than about who holds down second and the rest of the infield cleanly enough. Pedro Ramírez and James Triantos offer coverage, and Matt Shaw could help once his rehab assignment begins, but none matches Swanson’s defensive impact. So the Cubs’ defense should remain good enough to hold up in the short term because of their depth and Hoerner’s glove. But if Swanson misses a month or more, maintaining an elite standard becomes much harder.

3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Nation · Aug 16

Craig Counsell said Swanson will go on the 10-day injured list after leaving Sunday’s game in the third inning with an oblique injury.
An awkward swing triggered the exit; the Cubs first called it left-side discomfort, and an MRI is expected to determine the injury’s severity.
Nico Hoerner is expected to shift to shortstop with Pedro Ramirez covering second, weakening Chicago’s infield defense and bench flexibility.
The loss hits a Cubs team relying heavily on defense and groundball pitching while trying to climb back into the division race.