Japan lost to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals, and they also lost one of their key players during the game. Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki left the game because of right knee soreness after he tried to steal second base in the first inning. Suzuki limped off the field as he was thrown out to end the inning.
The team noted after the game that he was still being evaluated, and his teammate, Shohei Ohtani, shared an update.
“He hasn't had any imaging done yet so right now it's just based on how he feels. I'm just hoping it turns out to be something positive and that it won't affect his season,” Ohtani said via Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Suzuki batted third for Japan against Venezuela, and he is 3-for-9 with two home runs and six walks in the tournament while starting in center field. He only played one game in center field for the Cubs last season and batted .245 with 32 home runs and an .804 OPS.
Though it affected Japan, Cubs fans are also worried if he has to miss any time, especially with Opening Day in less than two weeks.
It will be interesting to see what the update will be for Suzuki, and the hope is that the injury isn't that serious. As for Japan, they were denied a bid in the WBC semi-finals, and Ohtani spoke about not being able to advance.
“All I can say is that it’s really frustrating,” Ohtani said via USA Today. “It was the kind of game where we had chances to win. It wasn’t like we were completely overwhelmed from start to finish. I think there were definitely moments where we had opportunities to win…”
