Cubs Get Gut-Punched: Dansby Swanson Sidelined With Oblique Strain

The Chicago Cubs just caught a brutal break in the middle of a playoff race. Shortstop Dansby Swanson is expected to miss four to six weeks with a Grade 2 oblique strain, a source told ESPN's Jesse Rogers on Monday.

That timeline is a nightmare. It means Swanson could be done for the rest of the regular season, with the Cubs fighting for October positioning.

How it happened

Swanson exited Sunday's ugly 11-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the third inning, grimacing after an awkward swing-and-miss. The diagnosis: left side discomfort. After the game, manager Craig Counsell made it clear the IL was coming.

This is a guy who's been a Gold Glove machine, taking home the hardware in 2022 and 2023. His bat hasn't been pretty — he was hitting just .216 — but he's still popped 18 homers and driven in 66 runs while sliding down in the order.

Next man up

Nico Hoerner, who shifted from second to short after Swanson went down, is expected to stay there. That opens the door for rookie Pedro Ramirez to handle second base.

The Cubs (72-53) still hold a firm grip on the top NL wild-card spot, but they're five games behind the Brewers in the NL Central. Losing a veteran leader like Swanson is a gut punch — now we see if Chicago can absorb it.