CHICAGO — “I’ve been up since 4 a.m.,” Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said late Tuesday night at the Wrigley Field clubhouse, explaining why he pulled out of a 4-on-4 game and how he felt physically and emotionally tired afterwards exhausted by everything that happened to his wife, Mallory Swanson, a key player on the US women’s national soccer team.
Dansby Swanson woke early this morning in Chicago to take Mallory Swanson to a local hospital for surgery to repair the torn patellar tendon in her left knee, a devastating injury she sustained during Saturday’s show against Ireland , which should prepare them for the women’s World Cup this summer.
The Cubs signed Dansby Swanson to a seven-year, $177 million deal last winter, in part because of his winning streak and long track record. Swanson chose Chicago in part because his wife was already an established professional athlete in the city with the NWSL’s Red Stars.
Swanson helped the Cubs level an early seven-run deficit against the Mariners and then signaled the dugout before the start of the sixth inning. The team first described Swanson’s problem as “tightness on the lower left side.” Cubs manager David Ross then explained it as “cramps” while briefing the media after a 14-9 comeback win.
“Realistically, I felt like my body was just finished,” Swanson said. “I felt like anything else would probably have put me in danger. The night was over for me. Pretty simple, probably I haven’t eaten or slept enough or drank enough water in the past few days. I’ve already started drinking plenty of fluids and taking care of myself.”
Swanson made a great impression in his first 10 games with the Cubs, hitting .400, flashing the Gold Glove defense and leading the team to a 6-4 start that should inspire some optimism in Wrigleyville. But that’s not how he imagined Mallory Swanson after their wedding in Georgia last December, or during their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic, where they chose to join the Cubs.
‘She’s all right,’ said Dansby Swanson. “Everyone knows it’s a pretty tough and heartbreaking situation. I’m heartbroken for her, just a lot of tears and sadness. Two things can be true at the same time: we can be sad and angry, but we can also understand God’s bigger picture and plans. We will get through this together.”
(Photo of Mallory and Dansby Swanson on opening day: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)