Swanson playing freely...mentally and physically
- Eugene McIntosh (@stayhumble)
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
WRIGLEY — Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson played with a sports hernia for a substantial amount of the 2024 season while keeping it to himself.
"I didn't realize how serious the injury was until I was actually diagnosed and that's when it set in," he told The Bigs.
He underwent surgery in October of 2024 and said something clicked one month before Spring Training and compared the way his body feels now versus the feeling post-surgery until that day in January.
"Something happened in January where I feel like a totally different person now than I did before that. I'll use my jukebox analogy. You know how when a jukebox isn't working and then you hit it and it just comes right on, that's how I feel," he said.
Swanson is fully healthy and looking like the $177 million dollar man Cubs President Jed Hoyer signed in December of 2022 as he guided the Cubs to a 10-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on a frigid Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. He was 2-4 with a solo Hank in the top of the second inning and broke a 6-6 tie with a two RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.
His 4 home runs and 11 RBIs are tied for second and third on the team, respectively, while his plus-plus glove work boasts a 1.000 fielding percentage in 55 chances.
"I credit D.K. (Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly) and the whole staff just for so much. Obviously helping me find things that work for me and just holding me accountable to that. I definitely appreciate coaching and people challenging me to be better and they've been nothing but great. Being healthy is such a big deal. It's been a really good reminder of this is what it's supposed to feel like to be healthy and to be able to play freely, mentally but also physically. I'm just so grateful to be in this position and to be here with these guys being able to do this," he said.
Availability is also one of Swanson's best abilities. He played all 60 games of the 2020 Covid shortened season, 160 of 161 (one game was canceled) in the Braves 2021 World Series run, all 162 in 2022, 147 in 2023 and 149 last season. I mentioned the possibility of him playing 162 this season and talking to manager Craig Counsell about it.
"I talked to Craig about it last year but haven't really had to this year. Some days off just make sense with how tricky the schedule is. There are lots of day games here where in Atlanta they were all night games."
With Swanson being a huge piece of the Cubs puzzle, I'm sure Counsell has no problem saving his 2x Al-Star and Gold Glove winner from himself.
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