The Chicago Cubs made a major splash in the off-season when they signed star Japanese slugger Seiya Suzuki to a massive deal. It's a no-brainer deal, given Suzuki's star power. However, the Cubs have unfortunately not been able to play much games with their star hitter in the lineup.

Seiya Suzuki's prolonged absence is due to a finger injury he suffered a few weeks ago. At the time, many expected the Cubs to bring back Suzuki soon, since it was supposed to be a minor injury. However, according to manager David Ross, Suzuki's finger hasn't healed up well in the last few weeks. (via NBC Sports)

“It’s just going really slowly,” Cubs manager David Ross said Saturday before the Cubs played the Yankees. “He wants to be back in there bad. But the finger doesn’t look great. It’s really stayed almost status quo.”

Ross and Cubs president Jed Hoyer insisted that Suzuki won't be requiring surgery for his injury. However, Suzuki will continue to miss significant time due to injury, which is a huge blow for the Chicago team.

The Cubs have struggled to make consistent noise thus far in the season. They'd occasionally have good stretches of games, but they'd fail to capitalize on this momentum. They currently sit at fourth place in the NL Central with a 23 – 35 record: a playoff appearance seems unlikely at this point.

It's fair to wonder whether Suzuki will be kept out for longer with the Cubs where they are now. If the team feels like they won't be competitive anytime soon, we could see them take their time with their prized acquisition.