Chicago Cubs Shake Off Tokyo Jet Lag to Resume Matches
The Chicago Cubs, though still woozy and certainly lacking sleep after their journey to Tokyo, have resumed their spring time matches. Most of the key players returned to the field, squaring off against the Colorado Rockies on a recent Saturday. Here’s what veteran Cubs reliever, Ryan Brasier had to say, ‘I assumed I had recovered from the jet lag, only to wake up today at 4 in the morning unable to fall back into slumber. I guess it’s fair to say we’re in a somewhat uncertain phase.’
Although Dansby Swanson, the team’s shortstop, had been feeling under the weather as a consequence of the trip, he chose to jump into the lineup instead of taking some downtime. He believed that it would be more beneficial to restart his routine. Justin Steele, the Cubs’ starter who had a bumpy beginning to 2025 — taking a hit with five runs, five hits, and three home runs in the Cubs’ 6-3 defeat to the Dodgers — was excited to learn that he was selected as their opening-day starter domestically. He’s eager to strike out the memory of that Tokyo start when he faces the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field come Thursday.
Despite the double loss to the Dodgers and subsequent weary return to Arizona on Wednesday night, the Cubs maintain they would happily repeat it all if given another shot. A welcome party for the team and staff was hosted by Cubs DH Seiya Suzuki and starter Sh?ta Imanaga at the Kanda Myojin Shrine; its highlight being a colossal 400-pound tuna that the players had the honor of slicing open.
An intriguing twist during the series was the Cubs playing as the home team, yet the vast majority of Tokyo Dome spectators (around 80%) were cheering for Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers. The Cubs were cognizant of Ohtani’s celebrity status in Japan before embarking on their trip but were nonetheless stunned by the extent of his fame.
Imanaga, although not enjoying the same level of fanfare as Ohtani, definitely felt the strain, both physically and emotionally, of delivering a quartet of hitless innings in his season debut back home against the Dodgers. The Cubs plan to allow him extra time for rest and recuperation, limiting his participation until Saturday’s third game of the series with the Diamondbacks.
Recalling his experience in Japan in 2017 with the Hiroshima team alongside Suzuki, Brasier expressed deep sentiment over the adoration shown to Suzuki and Imanaga by their home fans. Recovering from the two exhibition matches and two regular-season matches in Tokyo, the Cubs are now yearning for a return to regular operations.
The Cubs have three more Cactus League match-ups at Sloan Park planned, against the Athletics and Atlanta, before they shift to a Phoenix-based hotel on Tuesday evening. Their season kicks off on March 27, soon to be followed by a trip to Sacramento for the official presentation of the Athletics’ new ground for the forthcoming three seasons.
The next halt for the Cubs will be their homecoming in Chicago, where they will square off against the San Diego Padres on April 4, marking their home opener. Having already partaken in four opening-day style player presentations while in Japan, they’re on track to top the major leagues with a total of seven such ceremonies by their tenth game of the season.
What the Cubs are looking forward to, once they readjust their body clocks and battle jet lag, is a return to the routine. The excitement of regular exhibition games followed by counters that truly matter is a welcome shift. The notion of resuming the everyday grind of regular matches, somehow, has never been as satisfying a prospect.