The latest on Cubs’ shortstop Dansby Swanson’s injury
MILWAUKEE — Dansby Swanson felt better Thursday than he did Wednesday night after leaving the game with a left heel contusion that he suffered trying to beat out a double play.
“Just, obviously landed a little bit awkwardly. I’m a little bit sore today,” Swanson said. “But overall, I definitely feel like I’m in a better place than I was then. So that’s a good thing.”
But David Ross and the Cubs still felt the need to play it safe and keep him out of the finale against the Brewers, a game they lost 6-5 to split the series with Milwaukee.
In the 9th inning, Trey Mancini pinch hit and led the frame off with a single. Mancini, representing the tying run, stayed in the game to run for himself, but never advanced past first as the Cubs offense failed to advance him. Swanson was walking around the Cubs’ clubhouse Thursday morning with a noticeable limp.
“Obviously if we felt good about [Swanson] running, we would have pinch ran him there late for Trey,” Ross said. “Again, it’s a quick turnaround with a day game. We’ll kinda give him this longer, extended period and see how he feels tomorrow.”
The Cubs head on a flight for New York, where they’ll play 3 games in the Bronx against the Yankees before the All-Star Game. Swanson was quick to rule out one way or the other his availability for that series or for the All-Star festivities, where he was named an NL All-Star for the second straight year.
“I think we knew coming in today, [it would] probably be a little bit sore and aggravated and didn’t want to make any rash decisions,” Swanson said. “So, I think it’s something that we definitely will have discussions about over the next day or so.”
If he feels better Friday, he could be available for the series opener against the Yankees. Still, there’s still a ton of uncertainty with the injury.
“I wish it was just as simple and black and white, but never seems to be that,” Swanson said. “I think tomorrow, just based on how I deal with the flight and getting in and all that kind of stuff … we’ll just be able to reevaluate a little bit tomorrow and have a hopefully clearer picture on what things will look like moving forward.”