WBSC Premier12 2019 MVP and Olympic gold medallist Seiya Suzuki will not participate in the World Baseball Classic. Samurai Japan stated that the substitute hadn't been picked yet.
Suzuki, 28, reported to the Chicago Cubs Spring Training camp and impressed in early batting practice. On 28 February, the Cubs announced the slugger was diagnosed with a "moderate left oblique strain". The oblique is an abdominal muscle, and the club didn't confirm a timetable for Suzuki's return from injury.
In his first Major League Baseball (MLB) season, Suzuki appeared in 111 games for the Cubs. He started 107, 106 in right field and one as the designated hitter. He went 104-for-397, a .262 batting average, with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs.
In his nine-season Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) career with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, Suzuki posted a .315 batting average with 182 home runs and 562 RBIs over 902 games. He collected five Gold Gloves and appeared in five All-Star Games. He won the Central League batting title in 2019 and 2021.
