Dansby Swanson: Chicago Cubs SS pulls out of All-Star Game - Chicago Tribune

NEW YORK — And then there was one representing the Chicago Cubs next week in Seattle.

Shortstop Dansby Swanson decided Friday to pull out of the All-Star Game as he continues to deal with a bruised left heel. Swanson, one of three Cubs All-Stars, joins Marcus Stroman on the sideline for the Midsummer Classic after the right-hander announced Thursday he won’t pitch in the game and is unsure if he will travel to Seattle for the festivities.

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First-time All-Star Justin Steele won’t start during the Cubs’ final pre-break series at Yankee Stadium, setting up the lefty to pitch in Tuesday’s game. The Cubs took the opener of the three-game series 3-0 behind Jameson Taillon’s eight innings of one-hit ball.

Major League Baseball announced Friday night that Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo will replace Swanson on the National League roster.

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Swanson sustained the injury when his foot hit first base as he tried to beat out a double-play ball in the fifth inning Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. He did not finish the game and has not been in the lineup the last two games.

Manager David Ross called Swanson a “game-time decision” for his availability off the bench Friday, adding Swanson’s heel has been getting better each day. However, Ross didn’t rule out a trip to the injured list.

Asked whether there is consideration to put Swanson on the IL, Ross replied, “Sure, sure.”

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Without Swanson, the Cubs lose one of the best all-around shortstops in the majors this year. His 2.9 WAR, per FanGraphs, ranks 18th in the majors and ninth in the NL thanks to superb defense and offensive production that includes a .343 on-base percentage and 108 weighted runs created plus (wRC+).

Only Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco and Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim own a higher Def metric, which measures a player’s defensive value relative to the league average, than Swanson’s 11.1.

“He’s been great for us,” Ross said. “Super thankful about how we’re getting that type of player, the way he works, the example he sets, the way he’s wired. He’s the kind of player, leader, organizational staple that’s very important for us, not only this year but moving forward.”

The Cubs' Cody Bellinger watches his home run during the third inning against the Yankees on Friday, July 7, 2023, in New York. (Frank Franklin II/AP)

The three-game series in New York — where the Cubs never had beaten the Yankees before Friday — needs to be a momentum builder heading into the All-Star break as the calendar moves closer to the Aug. 1 trade deadline. A locked-in Cody Bellinger could provide the type of middle-of-the-order power bat versus right-handers the Cubs have lacked too often from the left side of the plate.

Bellinger appears to be in a groove. After a 4-for-4 game Thursday in Milwaukee, which included a double and a home run, he went deep in his first at-bat against Yankees lefty Carlos Rodón to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the third. He entered the game 19-for-39 (.487) with a .500 OBP in his last 10 games.

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“We’ve missed that, right?” Ross said before Friday’s game. “Him back finding his timing (Thursday) was a really good indicator. And he’s been a winning player, like he’s finding ways to get on base. He’s finding a way to come through in moments when he hasn’t found his timing there.

“He looked really sexy yesterday with those swings. Nice to see the ball come off the bat really hot. Hopefully that’s something he can build upon right here this last series.”

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2023-07-08 01:53:57Z
CBMihgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jaGljYWdvdHJpYnVuZS5jb20vc3BvcnRzL2N1YnMvY3QtY2hpY2Fnby1jdWJzLWRhbnNieS1zd2Fuc29uLWFsbC1zdGFyLWdhbWUtMjAyMzA3MDgtajZ2aGczdDVvdmJ6NWZpbTNqa2g1YnZzcXUtc3RvcnkuaHRtbNIBAA

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