When shortstop Dansby Swanson signed a seven-year, $177 million contract with the Cubs in free agency before the 2023 season, he had huge expectations for himself and the team. Both are clicking after two dreary seasons of going 83-79 and missing the playoffs. The Cubs are red hot after beating the Rockies 3-1 on Monday, lead the division by three games over the Cardinals and are on pace to win 99 games. “It can be frustrating, but right now we’re playing really well and have a lot of potential in this room,” Swanson told the Sun-Times. “We’ve just got such a good group of guys that care about one another and care about doing the right things on and off the field. It definitely makes it a joy to be on a team like that.” Swanson has been hitting, too. After a maddening start to the season in which he was batting .177 through the first 24 games, he is hitting .315 with a .384 on-base percentage and .550 slugging percentage since. He went 0 for 4 against the Rockies, but his first-inning groundout scored Ian Happ from third base to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Swanson acknowledged some challenges since signing with the Cubs, including his own struggles at the plate and his wife, pro soccer player Mallory Swanson, getting injured and needing surgery, but quite a bit seems to be coming together. He and the Cubs are headed the right direction, and the couple said earlier this month their first child is on the way. “There’s been a lot of hard times, but right now there’s a lot of really great things,” Swanson said. “We’re going to continue to trust that there’s a bigger purpose as to why we’re here and see where that takes us.” Hodge off track Cubs manager Craig Counsell indicated that reliever Porter Hodge is trending toward a longer stay on the injured list as he deals with left oblique issue. The team retroactively put him on the minimum 15-day IL on May 18, but it’s likely he’ll need longer. “Not making progress,” Counsell said. “Trying to figure out why we’re not making progress. “The next couple days, we need to make progress, otherwise the minimum stint is not going to be reasonable.” Hodge has pitched in 21 games this season and is 2-1 with a 5.12 ERA. He threw a scoreless inning in each of his last two appearances before the injury. While the Cubs aren’t designating a closer, Hodge was getting some opportunities there. His absence could mean more chances for Daniel Palencia, who got the call Monday with a 3-1 lead in the ninth. He closed the game on 13 pitches, finishing with a strikeout and an emphatic celebration. “I just want to say thank you to the manager for the confidence to put me in,” Palencia said. “I’m just trying to do my job every day.” Kelly returns Catcher Carson Kelly was back to normal Monday after missing the game Sunday against the Reds with what he believed was food poisoning. Counsell stuck with Reese McGuire in the lineup after he hit two home runs in his Cubs debut, but Kelly was available off the bench. “I’m OK now — it’s recovering,” Kelly said. “I woke up [Monday] feeling a lot better.” - Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (hamstring strain) is scheduled to throw off a mound Wednesday, giving the team a chance to gauge his progress.- Catcher Miguel Amaya (right oblique) will undergo imaging Tuesday, and Counsell said he’d update a timeline for his return then.- Pitcher Javier Assad played catch Monday for the first time since re-injuring his left oblique.- Former Cubs All-Star pitcher Ryan Dempster led the crowd in “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”- Actors Jason Bateman, Jeremy Allen White, Austin Butler and David Harbour had front-row seats at the game.