The Chicago Cubs are being urged to give star shortstop Dansby Swanson regular time off while he is struggling at the plate. Swanson is currently slashing just .183/.293/.330 on the season. At the moment, only two regular Major League Baseball hitters have a lower batting average than the former two-time All-Star. Chicago shortstops, led by Swanson, also have the lowest collective batting average in baseball.
Because they are not getting any offensive production from the position, Bruce Levine is asking the Cubs to bench Swanson. The MLB insider discussed the situation during an appearance on the Mully & Haugh Show on June 2. “You have one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball, there’s no question about that,” Levine said of Swanson. “He makes phenomenal plays, great base runner, great team player, [but] can’t hit.”
“So, until he can hit… maybe sit two days a week. Maybe you turn to your second baseman [Nico Hoerner], and you put him at short a couple of days a week. When [Matt] Shaw comes back, maybe he plays second base.”
“It’s to the point where it looks like [Swanson] is going up there and intentionally hitting pop-ups. He’s under every ball. Every other pitch he hits, he’s under it. It’s not like Dansby Swanson can’t hit; he’s hit before. He’s been a productive Major League Baseball player for a long time. Right now it’s the worst funk of his career…”
Dansby Swanson has the Biggest Contract on the Chicago Cubs
GettyDansby Swanson posted a respectable .717 OPS with the Chicago Cubs in 2025.
As Levine pointed out, Swanson is one of the better defensive shortstops in the game. In fact, the star previously picked up Gold Glove awards in 2022 and 2023. He also led all National League shortstops with a .990 fielding percentage during the 2024 campaign. So far this season, Swanson has made just four errors and leads the league with 145 assists from the position.
Potentially giving the All-Star a break would weaken the Chicago Cubs’ infield defense. Hoerner, however, does have experience at shortstop and was even the team’s starter in the role before Swanson arrived from the Atlanta Braves. Nevertheless, Hoerner is also widely regarded as one of the top defensive second basemen in all of baseball.
The Cubs previously gave Swanson a massive seven-year, $177 million contract before the 2023 season. Even though Chicago has since rewarded Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Alex Bregman, Swanson’s deal is still the biggest contract on the club.
Swanson is Hitting .133 in his Last 18 Games With Chicago
This is not the first time that the guys at the Mully & Haugh Show pleaded with the Chicago Cubs to bench a star player. David Haugh recently asked for Crow-Armstrong to receive at least a day off amid his own struggles. Interestingly enough, the center fielder remained in the lineup and committed a crucial error just hours after the host’s comments.
Swanson’s season struggles also appear to be getting worse. In fact, the star shortstop has just eight hits in his last 60 at-bats (.133 batting average). During this timeframe, he also has just two RBIs and three extra-base hits. Swanson has played in all but three Cubs games so far this season.
Cubs Urged to Bench Highest-Paid Star Player on Team