The Chicago Cubs are one of the hottest teams in MLB right now, and after their series-opening win over the Cardinals on Friday afternoon (and the Brewers‘ loss to the Dodgers), the Cubs are just three games back of Milwaukee for first place in the NL Central.
Since the All-Star break, the Cubs offense has been absolutely rolling, and it’s no surprise when you look at the production from their lineup daily.
Well, during the Cardinals series, and really ahead of game two of the series, manager Craig Counsell made a slight Seiya Suzuki change.
More MLB on Heavy: Boston Red Sox Announce Roman Anthony Update After Pirates Game
Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki Back in RF for Saturday’s Game
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 14: Seiya Suzuki #27 of the Chicago Cubs rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field on August 14, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
A common theme for Craig Counsell over the past few months has been switching Seiya Suzuki from DH to RF pretty much every other day.
So on Friday, Suzuki was the DH. Now, on Saturday, Counsell opts to put one of his premier power bats back in the outfield.
Here is the full Cubs batting order for 8/15, per @UnderdogMLB:
Cubs 8/15 “P. Crow-Armstrong CF S. Suzuki RF M. Busch 1B A. Bregman 3B I. Happ LF N. Hoerner SS P. RamÃrez 2B M. Conforto DH M. Amaya C M. Boyd SP”
As you can see, Matthew Boyd will be getting the start for Chicago, and Miguel Amaya will help form a battery with him.
Other notable changes include a rare day off for Dansby Swanson and Michael Conforto as the DH on Saturday.
More MLB on Heavy: St. Louis Cardinals Announce Demotion of 27-Year-Old Player During Cubs Series
Inside Seiya Suzuki’s 2026 Campaign Thus Far
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 6: Seiya Suzuki #27 of the Chicago Cubs strikes out during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Wrigley Field on August 6, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
I’m pretty sure Seiya Suzuki has batted fifth and played either RF or DH for every single game this season, which isn’t a huge surprise, but just highlights his consistency as a player.
The Cubs will have a huge decision to make surrounding their Japanese star after this season, because he is set to be a free agent, and with his MLB stats thus far in his career, plenty of teams will be interested in his services.
As for Suzuki’s 2026 campaign, he’s batting .273 with 21 home runs, 109 hits, 73 RBI, 67 runs scored, and an OPS+ of 135.
His career OPS+ is 129, which is well above average in Major League Baseball.
Suzuki will be a very hot commodity this offseason, but for now, his focus is on helping the Cubs advance to the World Series, which feels like a realistic ask at this point in the season.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Chicago Cubs Announce Seiya Suzuki Change During Cardinals Series appeared first on HEAVY.