Seiya Suzuki has been unable to begin his second act with the Chicago Cubs. But in a best best case scenario, manager David Ross thinks that Suzuki's show time could be coming sooner than expected.

The Cubs begin a West Coast road trip against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics on Friday. Ross is hopeful that Suzuki will join the Cubs for that road trip, via AP's Mark Gonzales.

Suzuki has missed the entire season thus far due to a oblique injury. He recently started a rehab assignment at AAA Iowa. Over two games, the outfielder has gone 2-for-5 with an RBI and a walk.

Without Suzuki, the Cubs have gotten off to a meager 4-4 start. Their offense has been impressed however, as Chicago's .275 ranks sixth-best in the MLB. They could use some help in the run-scoring department, as the Cubs' 42 runs rank 18th.

Chicago is looking for Seiya Suzuki to provide a major boost in that department. The outfielder made his MLB debut with the Cubs in 2022. Over 111 games, Suzuki hit .262 with 14 home runs, 46 RBI and nine stolen bases.

Injuries have really hurt Suzuki throughout his brief MLB career. The Cubs will look for him to be more durable as he enters year two. He has shined offensively at times, although he could look to cut down on the strikeouts.

Still, David Ross understands how important Suzuki is to the Cubs' offense. They'll face two different challenges in the World Series contender Dodgers and cellar dweller Athletics. Regardless of opponent, Ross thinks Suzuki has a good opportunity of returning as soon as Friday.