Schwarber wants to catch, but will Cubs let him?
LOS ANGELES — Confined to a 15-foot circle in the photo studio, Kyle Schwarber repeatedly simulated catching and throwing Monday during a 61⁄2-hour promotional session.
Schwarber laughed after an observer suggested he showed the range of motion and agility he wasn't allowed to display during the World Series.
“Everything is fine,” he said. “Everything is getting better. I'm just rehabbing it. Everything feels good.”
For Schwarber and the Cubs, the return to full health represents a key factor in their ability to defend their first title since 1908.
Schwarber, 23, entered the final stages of his recovery from left knee surgery this winter by shagging flies at the team's spring training complex in Mesa, Ariz., and strengthening his reconstructed leg to the point where he said he was cleared medically to resume catching.
But general manager Jed Hoyer said last month that Schwarber would report to spring training as a left fielder and that his workload as a catcher had yet to be determined.
“I'd like to see have the opportunity [to catch],” said Schwarber, who performed designated-hitter and pinch-hitting duties in the World Series. “If it comes, it comes. If it doesn't, it doesn't. But I'm going to fight.”
When Schwarber wasn't rehabbing his knee [he tore two ligaments on April 7], he was studying opposing batters and reviewing scouting reports with coach Mike Borzello, who oversees catchers game planning.
“There's a lot of prep work I've done,” Schwarber, who used an outfielder's glove exclusively during his photo/film session with New Era cap company, said. “[The Cubs] have a plan. I'm going to follow the plan, but I'm going to stick to my guns [to and catch].”
Much of Schwarber's determination stems from the fact he knows his leg feels stronger now than it did nearly three months ago when orthopedic surgeon Daniel Cooper cleared him to hit and run but not play the field during the World Series.
“There was no chance I could have played the outfield,” Schwarber admitted. “[Cooper] made the best decision. Me being the competitor, I wasn't happy at the time. I understand it now. And it all worked out.”
Schwarber's 7-for-17 performance in the Series convinced team officials he didn't need to play winter ball so he continued his rehab in Mesa and in his home state of Ohio.
Considering his hitting in the Series, manager Joe Maddon's idea of batting Schwarber in the leadoff spot doesn't seem as farfetched as his comeback was after being ruled out for the entire 2016 season.
Schwarber started twice in the leadoff spot during his rookie season in 2015, batting 3-for-8 with a stolen base.
In his junior season at Indiana in 2014, Schwarber was batted leadoff for 10 straight games and went 14-for-40 with eight walks.
“I'm open to it,” said Schwarber, who possesses a lifetime on-base percentage of .353 and a .429 mark in the minors. “I know I hit there for two games. It's just another spot in the order. Once that first spot is done, you can hit eighth or third.”
With the departure of Dexter Fowler to the rival Cardinals, the Cubs' other leadoff options are switchhitter Ben Zobrist and newly-acquired left-handed hitter Jon Jay.
But Schwarber, like Anthony Rizzo, gives the Cubs a formidable blend of getting on base and power from the left side.
That would provide Maddon with an attractive balance, especially if Willson Contreras' development as a power-hitting right-handed hitting catcher makes Schwarber's move to left field full time an easy one.
“I feel like I'm still going to be fine, once I get back out and taking flies, which I've done a couple of times,” Schwarber said. “It feels normal. It's just a matter of getting your judgment back, and I'm sure once the games start, everything will just feel fine.
”It was just a matter of getting my body moving and seeing some balls in the sky and it felt good. It really did. I feel sturdy. I'm good.“