MESA, Ariz. — About an hour before the Cubs’ Cactus League opener against the Giants on Saturday, the team announced right fielder Seiya Suzuki had been scratched from the lineup with left oblique tightness.
He was set to undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the injury and recovery time.
Suzuki committed to playing in the World Baseball Classic this spring for Team Japan, which begins pool play in less than two weeks. Cubs manager David Ross said earlier on Saturday that he’d talked to Suzuki about the amount of playing time he’d need to prepare for the WBC.