Japanese outfielder Suzuki Seiya (29), who plays for the Major League (MLB) Chicago Cubs, complains of flank pain, and the Japanese team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) is also nervous.
According to MLB.com and Sports Nippon, a Japanese sports media, Suzuki was scheduled to start as the fourth hitter and right fielder in the 2023 MLB exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants held at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona on the 26th (Korean time).
However, Suzuki complained of pain in his left side about an hour before the start of the match, and was removed from the starting lineup.
Suzuki reportedly felt pain during batting drills before the game. The Cubs club explained, “After observing the condition of the area that felt pain, we will receive a detailed examination if it is deemed necessary.”
Suzuki is one of five big leaguers included in the WBC Japan national team. Suzuki, who also represented the national team in the 2017 WBC, the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is also the mainstay of the Japanese team in this WBC in karate and defense.
Suzuki, who signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Cubs through the posting system after the 2021 season, had a batting average of 0.262, 14 home runs and 46 RBIs in 111 games last year, his big league debut season.
In this WBC, Suzuki was scheduled to play as the starting right fielder for the Japanese national team. Japan planned to build a big-league outfield with Masataka Yoshida, who plays for the Boston Red Sox, as left fielder and Lars Nuthba, a Japanese player from the St. Louis Cardinals, as center fielder.스포츠토토
Suzuki tried his best to prepare by increasing his weight by 10kg this offseason to increase his power, but encountered the bad news of flank pain.
It is unclear whether Suzuki, who felt pain in his side about 10 days before the opening of the WBC, will be able to join the national team normally.
Suzuki’s departure is a big bad news for the Japanese national team. Sports Hochi also reported the news under the title “Dark clouds in ‘Samurai Japan’?”