DALLAS — The Chicago Cubs were largely unaware of the core muscle injury Dansby Swanson played through this year; he ultimately required surgery to repair a sports hernia. Swanson’s ironman reputation had been part of the evaluation when the Cubs signed the Gold Glove shortstop to a seven-year, $177 million contract, but this issue was still unexpected.
“He kind of kept it to himself,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Monday during Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings.
Only two days earlier, the Cubs suddenly announced that Swanson underwent the surgical procedure in early October. The timing of the notice seemed odd — right before the baseball industry traveled to Texas for a signature offseason event. But Hoyer and Cubs manager Craig Counsell reiterated that Swanson is expected to be fully ready for spring training and available for Opening Day 2025.
“Truly, we didn’t have a really good sense of it,” Hoyer said when meeting with Chicago reporters at the Hilton Anatole. “It wasn’t really until the very end of the season — like after the season — where he wanted to go see a specialist and told us: ‘Hey, I want to get this fixed.’ So we were surprised, candidly, which is fine. That’s his personality. He was going to play. But, clearly, he was feeling something.”
Swanson generated a 4 WAR season, according to Baseball-Reference, though that value was tilted toward his elite defense at a premium position. He spent time on the injured list in May with a sprained right knee, which contributed to his subpar offensive production in the first half (.632 OPS). The sports hernia didn’t stop him from putting up much better numbers after the All-Star break (.795 OPS).
“I think it was an injury that nagged at him … I think he’ll be in a better place next year not having to deal with it.”
Craig Counsell on Dansby Swanson’s surgery. pic.twitter.com/eRabefeENq
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) December 9, 2024
“It was an injury that nagged at him throughout the year,” Counsell said. “Look, he played, right? So it was an injury that he was able to play with, but it was also an injury that just makes it hard, right?
“I don’t have an answer as to how much it affected him, but it was an injury that required surgery, so it’s clear that there was something there. I think he’ll be in a better place next year without having to deal with it.”
Swanson is two years into a long-term contract that includes a full no-trade clause. The Cubs finished with 83 wins and wound up outside the playoffs in each of those two seasons. A team built around pitching and defense will also be monitoring the progress of another Gold Glove infielder this winter.
Second baseman Nico Hoerner underwent flexor tendon surgery Oct. 11 — a procedure the team disclosed 10 days later — and the Cubs don’t plan to set a timeline until he reports for spring training.
“We knew he was playing with an injury,” Hoyer said. “He wasn’t throwing as well as usual. We knew that putting him at shortstop for more than a day wasn’t going to happen. In that situation, we knew: ‘OK, we’ll get this looked at.’ But in Dansby’s case, we weren’t aware. He kept it (to himself). But he had a great second half. He played great defense. He was really good offensively. So it was unexpected.”
Barring any other surprises, Swanson should be ahead of Hoerner when the Cubs reassemble in Arizona and begin preparations for the Tokyo Series.
“From my understanding, Dansby’s going to have a lot more normal offseason than Nico,” Hoyer said. “Nico’s was a more significant surgery. Dansby’s already doing stuff. I think that one — knock on wood — is not at the same level. Could Nico be delayed? Yeah. But everything’s been good so far.”
(Photo: Gary A. Vasquez / Imagn Images)
