The Cubs suffered a big blow Friday when the team found out Kyle Schwarber would miss the season with a fully torn ACL and LCL in his left knee and a severely sprained left ankle.
Schwarber will stay in Mesa at the team’s facility until he’s able to travel. He will have surgery in one-to-three weeks once the swelling, stiffness and pain subsides. Schwarber will be able to rehab in Chicago because of the team’s new clubhouse and facilities at Wrigley Field.
Schwarber exchanged texts with Theo Epstein according to the report from Cubs.com and there are two things Schwarber wants, “To win and make sure he could be with the team during his rehab.”
Epstein said to the beat writers, “That tells you all you need to know about a 23-year old who is going through the first significant injury of his life and the only thing that matters to him right now is winning and staying a part of this team.”
Schwarber is looking at a long rehab process after tearing two of the four ligaments in his knee. The Cubs hope he is ready for Spring Training.
“Twenty-four hours ago, I thought we were well positioned to win in large part because of Kyle’s presence on the team, and now we’re really well positioned to win for Kyle,” Epstein said. “I think that’s how his teammates are responding and will respond going forward.”
Epstein added that a lot of talented players need to step up to the forefront.
Schwarber’s teammates and Joe Maddon talked to the beat writers about his season-ending injury.
Maddon pointed out the Cubs are concerned about Schwarber as a person and a teammate first and foremost and they will figure out how to make things work on the field.
“No one’s going to feel sorry for us,” Anthony Rizzo said. “We all feel bad for Kyle. It’s terrible. We got to go out and do a job no matter who goes down. We’ve got guys ready to step up.”
And David Ross thinks Schwarber’s injury will bring the clubhouse even closer.
The news about Schwarber obviously impacted everyone in the clubhouse. Jed Hoyer said Saturday that the team will rally past it after not playing a good game Friday night.
Kyle Schwarber tweeted, “Thank you all for the encouragement. This is a test of character and plan to attack it head on. This team is special and fun to watch!”
- Comcast SportsNet – How will the Cubs report to the loss of Kyle Schwarber?
- Comcast SportsNet – Sickening feeling for Cubs after Kyle Schwarber’s season ends with torn ACL, LCL
- Joel Sherman – Cubs already at turning point with huge Kyle Schwarber blow
- ESPN Chicago – Cubs OF Kyle Schwarber to miss season with fully torn ACL, LCL
- The Tribune – Cubs believe they and Kyle Schwarber can overcome his season-ending injury
- The Tribune – With his talent and temperament Kyle Schwarber will survive and thrive
Javier Baez
Javier Baez was cleared by the Cubs’ medical staff to start playing extended Spring Training games according to Carrie Muskat.
Baez will not be activated for Monday’s home opener as expected. Baez was ‘brimmed’ by a pitch last Monday and missed more time for precautionary reasons.
Jesse Rogers reported Friday during an update on ESPN 1000 that the earliest Baez could be ready would be at the end of the homestand (April 11-17). The Cubs could be looking at the road trip (April 18-24) that begins on April 18 in St. Louis before Baez is activated from the disabled list.
Javier Baez is expected to go out on a short minor league rehab once he is close to returning from the disabled list.
Friday’s Post-Game Reports
- CCO Recap – Rough End to a Tough Day
- ESPN Chicago – Joe Maddon’s choice backfires as Cubs lose lead late
- ESPN Chicago – For Cubs’ Joe Maddon, pitching to Paul Goldschmidt doesn’t pay
- The Sun-Times – Cubs don’t walk Goldschmidt, the Diamondbacks walk off on Cubs
- The Tribune – Cubs haunted by Paul Goldschmidt’s game-tying single in 3-2 loss
News, Notes and Rumors
• Dexter Fowler played Friday but was “a little sore” the day after the collision. Maddon was not “100 percent sure” if Fowler would be able to play Friday. Fowler went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in four plate appearances. Fowler is not expected to miss any time.
• From Cubs Friday game notes … Anthony Rizzo became the first player in team history to drive in nine runs in the Cubs first three games of a season. Dee Fondy had eight RBI in the Cubs’ first three games of the 1955 season.
• Mark Gonzales posted another nugget from Friday’s game notes: Joe Maddon became the third fastest Cubs manager in franchise history to win 100 games. Maddon reached 100 wins with the Cubs in 165 games. Cap Anson won 100 of his first 139 games as the franchise’s skipper in 1880 and Frank Chance won 100 of his first 154 games as Cubs’ manager. Chance set the modern day mark in 1906.
• The Tribune – The (very real) Wrigley Field renovations
• The Tribune – Inside the Cubs’ vast Wrigley Field clubhouse
• A ballpark in Maine will become a replica of Wrigley Field.
• Yahoo Sports reported the Cubs made a dream weekend come true for young Chicago ballplayers.
• Young Cubs feel like battle-tested vets as 2016 World Series chase begins according to Scott Miller.
• Paul Sullivan reported Joe Maddon’s long-ago survival skills help him succeed as a manager.
• The Cubs have to take a hard look at the Dodgers before their next TV deal according to Hardball Talk.
• Sutton Whiting replaced Munenori Kawasaki on Iowa’s roster.
• Jim Bowden took a look at baseball’s top trade targets, including RHP Julio Teheran. Bowden thinks one possible match for Teheran would be the Cubs for a package built around Jorge Soler or Javier Baez.
And last, but certainly not least one young Cubs fan has to have his RizzO’s.
This Day in Cubstory
1995 – Cubs signed free agent Jaime Navarro
1989 – Rick Sutcliffe struck out 11 batters in Cubs 8-3 win over Pirates in front of 11,387 at a frozen Wrigley Field … game time temperature was 33 degrees with a wind chill of 8 above.
1985 – Cubs released Jacob Brumfield
1984 – Braves traded Ron Meridith to the Cubs for Terry Leach
1982 – Cubs signed free agents Hector Cruz, Mike Proly and Randy Stein
1980 – Ryan O’Malley, born
1969 – Billy Williams hit four consecutive doubles in a Cubs 11-3 victory over the Phillies behind Bill Hands at Wrigley Field.
1965 – Cubs released Don Elston
1964 – Blaise Ilsley, born
1963 – Mike Brumley, born
1963 – Jose Guzman, born
1961 – Brian Dorsett, born
1909 – Claude Passeau, born
1893 – Tiny Osbourne, born
1888 – Hippo Vaughn, born
1875 – Jack Hendricks, born