When Kyle Schwarber tore the ACL and LCL in his left knee the first week of April, it appeared his season was finished.
But the Cubs slugger has reportedly progressed so well in his rehab that there's talk he may be added to the World Series roster, if the team advances.
Schwarber will join the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League for a game Saturday night, and the TheAthletic.com reported there is an "open possibility" he could be added to the World Series roster, provided the team finishes out the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. The Cubs hold a 3-2 series lead and host the Dodgers in Game 6 on Saturday night, with Game 7 Sunday if necessary.
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World Series rosters are due Tuesday morning, which does not give the Cubs much time to decide Schwarber's fate. And ESPN reports he would only be available for pinch-hitting and designated hitter duties.
But the Cubs could certainly use Schwarber's bat. He hit 16 home runs and had an .842 OPS as a rookie last season, and was red-hot in the postseason, hitting .333/.419/.589 with five home runs. Such is the Cubs' postseason history that Schwarber is the franchise's all-time leading postseason home-run hitter.
Whether or not Schwarber is ready to be added to the roster, he has impressed his teammates with his hard work rehabbing from his injury.
“He’s there every day working his butt off,” pitcher Jon Lester told The Athletic. “You see him coming in from the weight room and he’s drenched and we know how hard he’s working to try to get back to help us. He doesn’t look for attention. You turn around and he’s drenched and soaking wet in sweat and just gone through a working and there’s a very slim chance he could be playing for us.”