Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki was not part of the lineup the team submitted ahead of Wednesday night's game at Wrigley Field against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Apparently, Suzuki is dealing with some upper-body discomfort, according to Cubs manager David Ross, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

“Cubs manager David Ross noted that RF Seiya Suzuki woke up today with a stiff neck, explaining why he is out of the starting lineup vs. Phillies tonight. Suzuki is also in an 0-for-13 funk at the plate.”

Hopefully for Seiya Suzuki and the Cubs, that neck pain will not force the 28-year-old Japanese star to miss more games. It might also help explain why he has been batting poorly of late. In 20 games this June, Suzuki has only hit .177 with a .247 on-base percentage and .228 slugging percentage through 79 at-bats. He also has to hit a home run this month, while his seven RBIs are the fewest among Cubs players with at least 20 games this month. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to Philadelphia.

The Cubs likely are just being cautious of Seiya Suzuki. It might also be a good time for him to take a rest given his recent struggles at the plate. So far in the 2023 MLB regular season, Suzuki is slashing .253/.338/.397 with six home runs and 26 RBIs.

At the moment, Suzuki, who signed a five-year deal worth $85 million with Chicago last March, is considered day-to-day, so there's a chance that Cubs fans see him back on the lineup in the series finale against the Phillies this Thursday.