It turns out that Mallory Swanson had a great reason for missing the start of the Chicago Stars’ regular season.
Swanson and her husband, Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, announced Wednesday on social media that they are expecting their first child.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Mallory Pugh Swanson (@malpugh)
Swanson had been away from the Stars all season due to what was dubbed personal reasons. She last played in a competitive game in November, when the Stars were knocked out of the playoffs. Swanson did not play with the U.S. women’s national team in the SheBelieves Cup camps last winter, either.
The Stars hold just a 1-1-5 record and sit 14th in the NWSL standings heading into Saturday’s matchup with the Washington Spirit. Swanson likely will miss the rest of the NWSL season.
Swanson shined with the USWNT last year. She scored a game-winning goal in the team’s gold medal match against Brazil in the Paris Olympics, which was her 100th cap for the national team.
Mallory and Dansby have been together since 2017, and they got married in 2022, shortly after his final season with the Atlanta Braves. The two-time All-Star is currently in his third season with the Cubs. He holds a .236 batting average with seven home runs and 20 RBI so far this season. The Cubs sit at 22-16 and lead the NL Central.
