MILWAUKEE – Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki’s teammates welcomed him back Monday with shouts, hugs and talk of his rehab-assignment home run.
The Cubs activated Suzuki after over five weeks on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left ring finger. Cubs manger David Ross wrote Suzuki into Monday’s lineup playing right field and batting fourth against the Brewers.
“It’s nice,” Ross said. “Getting him back and back in that lineup deepens everything, pushes some guys down [in the lineup]. … When you get a guy like Seiya back who has a real track record, when he’s hot he’s as good of a player as we have.”
In a three-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa, Suzuki went 4-for-9 with a home run and two doubles.
“This guys a workaholic, so he picked [his timing] up pretty quick,” Ross said. “We’ll see how it transitions to the best competition in the world.”
In a corresponding move, the Cubs optioned outfielder Narciso Crook to Triple-A Iowa. Crook made his MLB debut with the Cubs last week, logging an RBI double as his first major-league hit.
