Cubs have the infield depth to survive Dansby Swanson’s injury

The Chicago Cubs are coming off a series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, but that was hardly the only setback they suffered this weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers also took three of four from the Los Angeles Dodgers, extending their NL Central lead to five games.

To make matters worse, the Cubs could be without shortstop Dansby Swanson for the remainder of the regular season after he suffered an oblique injury. Swanson, who hasn’t been on the IL since 2024, left the game after a swing and miss in the third inning, will be placed on the injured list, but does have additional testing to due in order to determine the severity.

Replacing Swanson at shortstop Sunday was Nico Hoerner, who shifted over from second base. James Triantos finished Swanson’s at-bat before taking over at second. Losing Swanson long term will be a significant defensive blow, as he currently leads all NL shortstops with 16 Outs Above Average. Fortunately for the Cubs, their infield depth should help them navigate his absence.

The Chicago Cubs have the infield depth to survive Dansby Swanson’s oblique injury

Following the game, Dansby Swanson addressed his injury and expressed confidence in the Cubs’ ability to handle his absence defensively. He told reporters, “I think there’s not really a better group in the world to handle something like this,” pointing to the team’s depth, quality and ability to play multiple positions at a Gold Glove level.

Moving forward, the most likely middle-infield alignment will feature Hoerner at shortstop and rookie Pedro Ramirez at second base. Hoerner was originally drafted as a shortstop and spent the majority of his minor league career at the position. Ramirez, meanwhile, is most comfortable at second base, though the Cubs had previously moved him around in between the infield and outfield because of the offensive production he has provided.

Ultimately, losing Swanson for an extended period of time will not be ideal, but the Cubs infield depth gives them a good chance to weather his absence and keep pace in the NL Central race.

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