Seiya Suzuki return leaves Cubs with roster move that was always inevitable

Seiya Suzuki is set to make his 2026 debut for the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon. The Cubs are hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field, and as expected, Suzuki was activated off the IL before the game.

While the Cubs' offense finally showed signs of life during their final two games against the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this week, Suzuki's return to the starting lineup can be understated. When the Cubs were comfortable letting Kyle Tucker walk via free agency and trading Owen Caissie to the Miami Marlins during the offseason, it was largely due to the power Suzuki has tapped into over the past year. Power is currently the missing element from the Cubs' starting lineup, and Suzuki's return could certainly be the answer.

Seiya Suzuki's return to the Chicago Cubs starting lineup is coming at the perfect time.

Suzuki's bat certainly looked ready during his minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Knoxville, collecting 6 hits in 17 plate appearances with 2 doubles.

With Suzuki returning, the Cubs are putting a quick end to the Dylan Carlson experiment. Carlson was a minor-league signing for the Cubs at the start of spring training, and there was some belief that he could remain on the roster as the primary backup to Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field.

Instead, the Cubs opted to keep an additional infielder on the roster in Scott Kingery. It essentially was a coin flip at this point in the season, considering neither player was likely long for the roster. Assuming the Cubs want to move forward with the idea that Matt Shaw could be a starting outfielder next season, it would make some sense to keep an extra infielder on the bench. The idea being that Shaw is going to primarily see time in the outfield this season, backing up Suzuki and Ian Happ.

With Michael Conforto also on the roster and his bat trending in the right direction, Carlson's role on the team quickly became redundant. The Cubs likely can hide Suzuki in center field for a day if Crow-Armstrong needs an off day. Kevin Alcantara is also making a strong case for an early promotion, lessening the need to keep Carlson around.