The Chicago Cubs are close to finalizing their Opening Day roster and an unexpected veteran has now earned a spot among the 26 players who will make the trip to Wrigley Field out of camp.

Left-handed hitting outfielder Michael Conforto agreed to a minor league deal with the Cubs back in February, and at the time, there was a little wiggle room in terms of his chances of making the team out of spring training. Fans later learned that Tyler Austin needed knee surgery, knocking him out of the bench mix heading into the 2026 season.

Now, right fielder Seiya Suzuki is headed to the injured list, clearing the way for Conforto to not only make the Opening Day roster, but he may now be the potential starting right fielder against the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

So far in spring training, Conforto is 9-for-33, with four doubles. The 33-year-old is coming off a rough season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Conforto isn’t all that removed from a decent 2024 campaign with the San Francisco Giants.

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We’ll see later this week how Cubs manager Craig Counsell decides to handle right field with Suzuki out. Matt Shaw has also been getting more reps in the outfield during spring training, so he could be splitting time or potentially get the majority of the starts, filling in for Suzuki.

Michael Conforto’s Career Overview

Conforto played with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, after he signed a one-year, $17 million to become their starting left fielder. However, the left-handed batter struggled immensely and was ultimately kept off the Dodgers’ postseason roster after Conforto put up a career worst slash line of .199/.305/.333. His 83 wRC+ ranked 15th lowest among 177 players with at least 450 plate appearances in the 2025 season.

Flat out bad. Conforto began the regular season on fire, going 8-for-26, with a pair of home runs and four doubles in his first eight games, but then batted .191 with a .605 OPS and 75 wRC+ in the final 455 plate appearances of 2025. The only positive aspect at the plate for Conforto was his plate discipline as the left-handed batter posted an 11.5 BB%, in line with his career numbers.

Like any contending team, the Cubs are trying to win at the margins and that means bringing in guys who do have the ability to contribute in the majors. Although Conforto had brutal numbers with the Dodgers in 2025, he had a solid 2024 campaign with the San Francisco Giants. During the 2024 season Conforto recorded a 112 wRC+ and hit 20 home runs in 130 games.

The outfielder hasn’t been the same slugger on offense since his 2022 left shoulder surgery, but the Cubs don’t need Conforto to be an All-Star hitter like he was during his early run with the New York Mets. Any good team will bring in veterans that have good track records and roll the dice during spring training, looking if there’s still something there.

He’s a known name with a better past than other guys who have been signed this offseason to compete for a bench spot, so Conforto will draw more attention. The Cubs have brought in Chas McCormick and Dylan Carlson to compete for a fourth outfielder job, while Justin Dean was also added to the 40-man roster as depth in Triple-A. Conforto could find a way on the roster as a left-handed bat off the bench or make the team if there’s an injury.