Dansby Swanson Hits the IL with an Oblique Injury Just in Time for the Crosstown Classic

The Chicago Cubs are officially placing shortstop Dansby Swanson on the 10-day injured list with an oblique injury, turning a miserable weekend against the Cardinals into a full-blown roster headache.

Swanson torqued his left side on a first-pitch swing in the third inning of Sunday's 11-4 blowout loss to St. Louis. There are bad swings, and then there are swings that immediately send you walking into the tunnel with a trainer while your team is getting actively dismantled by Alec Burleson.

The timing is brutal for a Cubs team that just emptied the farm system at the trade deadline to push for the division. Swanson has been a frustrating watch for batting average purists this year, sitting at a cool .216, but he was quietly closing in on a second straight 20-20 season with 18 home runs and 16 stolen bases. You do not just replace that kind of random power-speed production overnight.

Nico Hoerner is the obvious candidate to slide over and take the everyday shortstop reps, which means guys like James Triantos and Pedro Ramirez are about to get a lot more run at second base. If you are looking at the daily lines, factor in that Chicago is now rolling out a patched-together middle infield behind a pitching staff that just gave up 19 runs over their last two games.

Swanson is scheduled for an MRI on Monday to figure out exactly how long he will be wearing a hoodie in the dugout. Oblique injuries are notoriously stubborn, so do not expect a magical return on day eleven. For now, the Cubs have to figure out how to stop the bleeding as they open up the Crosstown Classic against the Chicago White Sox.