Jed Hoyer updated the progress Kyle Schwarber has made with his rehab since the Cubs won The World Series last month. And Schwarber will not play ball this winter.
Schwarber will continue his rehab program in Chicago and at the team’s facility in Mesa. Hoyer told the beat writers Monday that the Cubs feel confident with where Schwarber is at this point of the off-season. Schwarber proved during The Series that he can hit Major League pitching, which would have been the main reason for him playing Winter Ball.
The Cubs expect Schwarber to be 100 percent by Spring Training.
Kyle Schwarber wants to catch again but the Cubs are “unclear how much work, if any, he will get at catcher.” The Cubs have not discussed him catching according to Carrie Muskat.
Bruce Levine reported its beginning to look like Schwarber will be a full-time left fielder. Hoyer said the Cubs have not talked about how much, if any, catching he will be able to do.
“That is a hurdle we have not gotten over yet,” Hoyer said to the beat writers. “Can he do it? There is no question that he will want to do it and can do it. We just haven’t had any discussions on how heavy a workload we put on him in that regard. It’s basically like playing two ways in football in a way. We know what his position is going to be. I know he’ll want to catch. He does know he is coming into camp as a left fielder. We have to decide how much of the catching drills he will do.”
The Cubs are focused on having him ready to play left field. As of three weeks ago, he had not been cleared to play in the field yet and Chris Bosio said he would be reporting with pitchers and catchers in the spring.
Kyle Schwarber provided the Cubs a much-needed boost in The World Series. Schwarber played in five games, all four in Cleveland. The Cubs were 3-1 in the four games in which Schwarber was the DH. Schwarber drove in two runs in Game 2 and he started the 10th inning rally in Game 7 with a leadoff single to right through the Indians’ shift.
Schwarber was 7-for-17 in the five World Series games with a double, three walks, two runs scored and two RBI (.412/.500/.471) for a .971 OPS.
Kyle Schwarber basically missed the entire regular season and has a chance of playing in his first Opening Day at Wrigley Field in April.
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