Cubs send Dansby Swanson, Edward Cabrera to IL as key injuries pop up in middle of playoff race
<p>Things were feeling a lot like May and June on Monday at Wrigley Field, with ample injury news and the Crosstown-rival White Sox on the schedule, challenging for intra-city supremacy.</p><p>While the Wrigleyville buzz was about a rare late-season clash between playoff-dreaming teams from both sides of town, the Cubs were hit with bigger-picture problems, sending their starting shortstop and their big offseason trade acquisition to the injured list in the middle of a playoff race.</p><p>After he <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/08/16/cubs-shortstop-dansby-swanson-leaves-game-with-apparent-injury" >left Sunday’s game following an uncomfortable swing</a>, the Cubs learned shortstop Dansby Swanson has a left oblique strain, one that manager Craig Counsell said is expected to keep the shortstop out for four weeks.</p><p>The Cubs are confident they’ll get Swanson – a Gold Glove defender who ranked fourth on the team with 18 homers coming into Monday – back for the home stretch of the regular season and the playoffs, but they’ll have to figure out a way to keep their best-in-baseball defense humming without him.</p><p>The everyday shortstop job will go to second baseman Nico Hoerner in the meantime, with reserve infielder Pedro Ramirez taking over everyday duties at second base.</p><p>Hoerner will have to reacclimate himself to shortstop; he came into Monday with only 36 appearances there in the last three seasons. Ramirez, meanwhile, will get to show what he can do as an everyday player after hitting .299/.353/.441 in his first 140 big league plate appearances as a part-time player.</p><p>“Pedro’s a good player, bottom line,” Counsell said.
Reported by 1 outlet — Chicago Sun-Times. See all sources ↓
<p>Things were feeling a lot like May and June on Monday at Wrigley Field, with ample injury news and the Crosstown-rival White Sox on the schedule, challenging for intra-city supremacy.</p><p>While the Wrigleyville buzz was about a rare late-season clash between playoff-dreaming teams from both sides of town, the Cubs were hit with bigger-picture problems, sending their starting shortstop and their big offseason trade acquisition to the injured list in the middle of a playoff race.</p><p>After he <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/08/16/cubs-shortstop-dansby-swanson-leaves-game-with-apparent-injury" >left Sunday’s game following an uncomfortable swing</a>, the Cubs learned shortstop Dansby Swanson has a left oblique strain, one that manager Craig Counsell said is expected to keep the shortstop out for four weeks.</p><p>The Cubs are confident they’ll get Swanson – a Gold Glove defender who ranked fourth on the team with 18 homers coming into Monday – back for the home stretch of the regular season and the playoffs, but they’ll have to figure out a way to keep their best-in-baseball defense humming without him.</p><p>The everyday shortstop job will go to second baseman Nico Hoerner in the meantime, with reserve infielder Pedro Ramirez taking over everyday duties at second base.</p><p>Hoerner will have to reacclimate himself to shortstop; he came into Monday with only 36 appearances there in the last three seasons. Ramirez, meanwhile, will get to show what he can do as an everyday player after hitting .299/.353/.441 in his first 140 big league plate appearances as a part-time player.</p><p>“Pedro’s a good player, bottom line,” Counsell said. “I told you out of spring training, if Pedro has to come and play every day in April, I’m good with it. This is after 130 major league at-bats where he’s really performed.
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- What's the story?
- <p>Things were feeling a lot like May and June on Monday at Wrigley Field, with ample injury news and the Crosstown-rival White Sox on the schedule, challenging for intra-city supremacy.</p><p>While the Wrigleyville buzz was about a rare late-season clash between playoff-dreaming teams from both sides of town, the Cubs were hit with bigger-picture problems, sending their starting shortstop and their big offseason trade acquisition to the injured list in the middle of a playoff race.</p><p>After he <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/cubs/2026/08/16/cubs-shortstop-dansby-swanson-leaves-game-with-apparent-injury" >left Sunday’s game following an uncomfortable swing</a>, the Cubs learned shortstop Dansby Swanson has a left oblique strain, one that manager Craig Counsell said is expected to keep the shortstop out for four weeks.</p><p>The Cubs are confident they’ll get Swanson – a Gold Glove defender who ranked fourth on the team with 18 homers coming into Monday – back for the home stretch of the regular season and the playoffs, but they’ll have to figure out a way to keep their best-in-baseball defense humming without him.</p><p>The everyday shortstop job will go to second baseman Nico Hoerner in the meantime, with reserve infielder Pedro Ramirez taking over everyday duties at second base.</p><p>Hoerner will have to reacclimate himself to shortstop; he came into Monday with only 36 appearances there in the last three seasons. Ramirez, meanwhile, will get to show what he can do as an everyday player after hitting .299/.353/.441 in his first 140 big league plate appearances as a part-time player.</p><p>“Pedro’s a good player, bottom line,” Counsell said.
- How widely is it covered?
- 1 outlet, average source rating 6.0/10.
- When was it last updated?
- 7m ago.
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Cubs send Dansby Swanson, Edward Cabrera to IL as key injuries pop up in middle of playoff race
Sources1TypeCoverageChicago Sun-Times