Swanson’s return changes the Cubs’ infield alignment for the final stretch

The Cubs have Dansby Swanson back at shortstop for the final stretch. Chicago activated him from the 10-day injured list Friday, optioned third baseman BJ Murray Jr. to Triple-A Iowa and started Swanson ninth in the lineup against Cincinnati.

Swanson missed 28 games with a left oblique strain. MLB’s transaction ledger records the move, and the league’s report on his return says he went 0-for-3 with a walk in Friday’s 6-4 loss to the Reds. The return still gives Chicago the defensive alignment it wanted when the injury interrupted his season.

Nico Hoerner can move back to second base, his original position, while Pedro Ramírez returns to a bench role. That is a meaningful change for a Cubs team trying to protect a Wild Card position with a limited number of games left. Swanson entered the injury at .216/.300/.404 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs.

The official Saturday lineup again lists Swanson at shortstop for the 6:40 p.m. Eastern game. His first night back did not change the result, but the next two games will show how quickly the Cubs can settle the infield and how much offensive timing Swanson can recover while Chicago chases October.