The Cubs made two roster moves official Monday.
The Cubs optioned C Kyle Schwarber to Triple-A Iowa and OF Matt Szczur was recalled to take the spot on the active roster. With Monday’s two roster moves, the Cubs 25-man roster currently consists of 13 pitchers (five starters, eight relievers) and 12 position players.
Matt Szczur is with the team at Wrigley and is in Monday’s starting lineup. Szczur is starting in left field, batting seventh against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers.
Kyle Schwarber had quite a week in the majors. Schwarber hit .364/.391/.591 (8-for-22) with a triple, a home run, a walk and eight strikeouts for a .982 OPS along with six runs scored, six RBI and 13 total bases in six games.
The Cubs are sending Schwarber to Iowa in order to continue his development behind the plate. The Cubs are very happy with the progress Schwarber has made defensively. Schwarber is a big part of the Cubs’ plan moving forward, especially if he is able to stick at catcher.
The Cubs feel that because of the improvement Schwarber has made along with his desire to be a big league catcher, he has a chance to be an everyday catcher in the majors.
Before his ‘pit stop’ in the big leagues, Kyle Schwarber batted .320/.438/.579 in 58 games for Double-A Tennessee with 10 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs, 42 walks and 49 strikeouts for a 1.017 OPS.
Kyle Schwarber earned Southern League All-Star honors
OF Matt Szczur, 25, has played in 23 games for the Cubs this season. Szczur batted .167/.225/.222 with two doubles. In 36 games with the I-Cubs this year, Szczur hit .287/.361/.457 with six doubles, two triples, four home runs and a .818 OPS.
Szczur joins the Cubs for the fourth time this season, as he was a member of Chicago’s Opening Day roster until April 19, was with the club from May 6-15 and again from June 2-6.
Matt Szczur made his Major League debut with the Cubs last August and batted .226 (14-for-62) with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI in 33 games. He has played 23 games in left field, 10 games in center field and 14 games in right field during his big league career.
Overall, Matt Szczur has batted .204/.255./.306 (20-for-98) with four doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI in 56 career major league games.