Written by Jesse Rogers at ESPN.com
A Hollywood ending to a magical Chicago Cubs season could involve one of their most popular players putting down his walking cane and picking up his bat.
That’s the plan at least, as all signs point to Kyle Schwarber returning to active duty for the World Series, according to a source familiar with the situation. Schwarber will DH again in a Fall League matinee game on Monday, then fly to Cleveland to join his teammates for the World Series, which begins Tuesday. Unless there is a setback, expect Schwarber to be on the 25-man roster. It’s a miraculous development for a fan and team favorite.
“The timing is just a little bit off,” a scout told ESPN’s Christopher Crawfordafter Schwarber’s Fall League debut on Saturday. “But that’s to be expected; this guy hasn’t played in a game since April. He still showed quality bat speed, he appeared to recognize pitches well, and he’s always a threat with the long ball. As talented as this young man is, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s ready to contribute with the bat in a couple of days.”
Schwarber went 0-for-3 with a walk on Saturday playing for the Mesa Solar Sox, just a little over six months since undergoing surgery on two torn ligaments in his left knee. If Schwarber is sharp enough to join the roster, the only question is a medical one. Normally, his recovery would take six to nine months, but Schwarber has shown enough in his rehab to participate in some activities, namely hitting a baseball. The Cubs say they will ask him to do only that and then run the bases, as his doctor hasn’t cleared him for anything else.
“Can he be effective and do what they want in a specific role?” ESPN’s injury analyst Stephania Bell asked. “The answer has to be yes or they wouldn’t let him return.”
Bell notes that Dr. Dan Cooper, who performed the surgery on Schwarber’s ACL and LCL tears, is an expert in multiple torn ligament operations and recoveries.
“Those are more complicated because they affect the rehab time,” Bell said. “Whenever you look at a sport you’re looking at a seasonal calendar. Would it be ideal if we were talking about him for next year? I think we know the answer to that. But the World Series can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so you evaluate the risk versus the reward. Is he at a 100 percent? Probably not. He hasn’t been cleared to play the field. Is he in a position to be safe to play in the role they are allowing him to return? What he’s done in rehab to this point has sold them on that.”
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