Seiya Suzuki Injury Update: Chicago Cubs place star outfielder on 10-day IL with oblique injury

The Chicago Cubs have been dealt a major blow as star outfielder Seiya Suzuki has been placed on the 10-day IL with a right oblique strain. A number of MLB insiders spoke about the injury, including Jesse Rogers of ESPN, and although there has been no official word of the severity, it is undoubtedly a huge loss for the club.

"The Cubs place Seiya Suzuki on the 10-day IL with a right oblique strain, via multiple reports." - @MLBONFOX

Seiya Suzuki has not only been one of the best players on the Chicago Cubs this season but one of the best in the league. Prior to hitting the IL, Suzuki had posted an impressive .303 batting average with three home runs, 11 runs scored and 13 RBIs.

It remains to be seen how long Suzuki will be out of the lineup, however, he did suffer a left oblique strain last season, which kept him out of the lineup for six weeks. Although there is no guarantee that he will miss that much time, oblique injury timelines can be tricky given the nature of baseball and the usage of the muscle while swinging.

In a corresponding move, the Chicago Cubs have recalled soon-to-be 24-year-old outfielder Alexander Canario. Canario appeared in six games for the Chicago Cubs last season and fared decently well. In those six games, the young outfielder posted a .294 batting average with a home run and six RBIs.

"According to @jonmorosi, the Chicago Cubs are calling up OF prospect Alexander Canario. Canario made his major league debut last year. Welcome BACK to the Show, Alexander!" - @ProspectsLive

The Chicago Cubs will need several stars to step up in Seiya Suzuki's absence

If Seiya Suzuki does indeed miss at least six weeks as he did last season, the Chicago Cubs will need some of their other stars to step up his potentially long absence. Proven veterans such as Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner will need to carry much of the run production while Suzuki is away.

The Cubs will also rely on continued production from some of their budding young stars Christopher Morel and Michael Busch, who have both been excellent this season. Although Morel's batting average leaves much to be desired, he has continued to emerge as a true power-hitting outfielder.