Chicago Cubs Set Target Date for Activation of Injured Star Shortstop

The Chicago Cubs seem to be getting an important piece back in the mix as they have targeted a return date for one of their star players.

Apr 30, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson (7) / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

It hasn't quite been an easy season to manage for new Chicago Cubs skipper Craig Counsell.

Injuries have been prevalent throughout the early portion of the year and have forced him to dip into their reserves and pipeline to field a competent team as they chase NL Central success.

So far, he and the team has managed it well, sitting five games above .500 and two back of first place.

However, things have started to slow down a bit for the Cubs after they got off to a great start. They are 4-6 over their last 10 games and there is major concern about their offensive profile after some worrisome struggles at home.

But, Chicago should get one of their important pieces back after they have set a return date for injured star shortstop Dansby Swanson.

According to Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network, they're targeting Tuesday, May 21 to activate him off the 10-day injured list following his recovering from a sprained right knee that has kept him out since May 7. He's been ramping up his baseball activity and should be good to go barring a setback.

Swanson has struggled at the plate this year with a slash line of .209/.285/.341 that would easily be the worst of his career. He's also hit four homers and has 12 RBI through his 37 games, not exactly the production the Cubs were expecting from their $177 million man.

Of course, he could turn things around and get back on track during this long season, but even if his offense doesn't become elite, they will always welcome him and his two-time Gold Glove-winning defense back based on their desire to have elite defenders across their infield.

Hopefully the time off not only allowed Swanson to put his knee issue behind him, but also gave him some opportunitities to figure out what has been missing at the plate.

They certainly need him to start performing if they're going to make the playoffs this year.