Cubs Option Assad to Triple-A Iowa, Place Suzuki on Injured List

Javier Assad posted an 8:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 6.2 Cactus League innings, allowed just one earned run in three appearances, and still could not crack Chicago's Opening Day roster. The Cubs optioned Assad to Triple-A Iowa, where he will continue to work as a starter, after he had been in consideration for a bullpen role before the organization decided to keep him stretched out in Des Moines.

The pitching decision was announced Monday alongside a more jarring piece of news. Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced that Suzuki will open the year on the 10-day injured list, removing one of the lineup's top power threats from the equation out of the gates. Suzuki sustained a minor sprain of the right posterior cruciate ligament on a stolen-base attempt in the first inning of Japan's quarterfinal loss to Venezuela on March 14 in the World Baseball Classic. The IL move was backdated three days.

Suzuki addressed the injury Monday, saying through his interpreter Edwin Stanberry: "I was worried in the beginning. But day to day, the pain's gone down and it's been feeling better each day. Obviously, you don't want to rush it, but I want to make sure it heals and then come back to the team."

The Cubs will have the ability to make Suzuki's IL stint retroactive, making April 1 against the Angels technically the first day the outfielder would be eligible for activation, though the subsequent road trip to Cleveland and Tampa Bay may be a more realistic window if he progresses quickly. Counsell was pointed about the uncertainty. "I don't know if I can answer that right now," the manager said. "We've just got to have a good week, then I think we can start to more accurately tell you when he's going to be back."

The stakes around Suzuki's health are real. The 31-year-old played in a career-high 151 games last season, slashing .245/.326/.478 with a career-high 32 home runs in 651 plate appearances, marking his fourth above-average season at the plate in four years since coming over from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He is entering the final season of a five-year, $85 million contract and will be a free agent following 2026.

To cover right field in the interim, the Cubs informed veteran outfielder Michael Conforto, a non-roster invitee, over the weekend that he would be on the Opening Day roster. Conforto signed a minor-league deal hoping to rebound from a career-worst performance with the Dodgers in 2025. Kevin Alcantara is on the 40-man roster and Dylan Carlson remains in camp as a non-roster invitee, while the Cubs are also debating whether to include an extra infielder on the Opening Day roster, with Matt Shaw currently the only backup infielder.

On the pitching side, Assad's demotion cleared the final roster spot for Ben Brown. Brown nabbed that spot behind Daniel Palencia, Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb, Caleb Thielbar, and Colin Rea. Counsell announced Monday that Brown will serve in the Opening Day bullpen as a multi-inning option. Counsell explained the thinking behind keeping two length arms in that group. "Essentially we made a decision to prioritize two length options in the bullpen to start the season, just kind of knowing with the nature of the schedule, the nature of where our starters are at and relievers are at to start a season, that you want to be careful with workloads and thinking that two guys with length ability can really help manage the innings workload early in the season."

Assad, who represented Mexico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic before returning to Cubs camp, is no stranger to the shuttle. Since making his MLB debut in 2022, he has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen, combining for a 3.43 ERA, typically posting strikeout and walk rates a bit worse than league average. He is being paid a guaranteed $1.8 million this season and this assignment represents the second of the Cubs' three minor league option years on him.

The consensus among those covering the club is that Assad is clearly a big-league pitcher; there simply is not a spot right now, which means the Cubs carry some of the highest-quality depth a team can have for its rotation. With the Iowa Cubs opening their own season shortly, Assad figures to be one of the more closely watched arms in the Pacific Coast League, pitching his way back toward a Wrigley Field return.