It’s fair to say that so far this year the Cubs haven’t gotten what they were hoping for out of Seiya Suzuki. He missed some time earlier in the year with an oblique injury, isn’t hitting for much power, and last week was benched a year and a half removed from signing a 5 year, $75 million dollar contract. However, Seiya earns one of our stars for the week for returning to the lineup and, in his first start since the benching, he went 3 for 4 with a triple and a homer against the Mets. He’s had a hit in every game since returning and has responded nicely. Hopefully we see more of this out of Seiya as the Cubs fight for a playoff spot down the stretch.
Moore may not have gotten many snaps in the Bears’ first preseason game on Saturday, but he made his presence known. On his only reception of the day, Moore took a screen pass to the house for a 62-yard score that got the crowd roaring at Soldier Field. Hopefully, this will be a preview of things to come for Moore in his first season as a Bear. Moore has been a consistent, dominant force in training camp so far and has formed excellent chemistry with quarterback Justin Fields. So far, that connection in practice has translated to the games.
Javier Assad has quietly been one of the Cubs’ best relievers since the All-Star break. Over his last 7 appearances, he’s totaled 22 innings pitched, a .95 WHIP, and a 1.23 ERA. Filling in for a struggling Drew Smyly against a Blue Jays team that has been eating up left handed pitching, Assad made the start and was lights out all night. He threw 7 innings, and only allowed 5 baserunners (4H, 1BB) and one ER, allowing the Cubs to take home a comfortable 6-2 win. We hope the strong performances continue in order to help the Cubs with their playoff push the rest of the season.
Gipson may not be a premier pass rusher, or even a starter caliber player. In fact, he’s listed as other in the first unofficial depth chart, but in the Bears’ 23-17 win over the Titans this past Saturday he played like a man on a mission to not only make the depth chart, but prove that he could be a reliable option when a guy like Ngakoe needs a breather. Gipson’s motor led to him tallying a sack, along with 3 QB hits. We’ll see how his role evolves on the team as the regular season approaches.