The Chicago Cubs were one of the hottest teams in the MLB before making a road trip out to the West Coast. They lost four out of six to the Giants and Dodgers and then returned home to drop two out of three to the Reds. Now they might lose rookie Kyle Schwarber.
Schwarber was scratched from yesterday's game against the Reds (the Cubs lost 7-4) due to right rib soreness. The rookie was sent for an MRI and the team is awaiting the results to determine a timetable for his return, according to Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago.
Manager Joe Maddon didn't have much else to report, which now subjects Schwarber's status to rumors. How serious is the injury? How much time will he miss? What will the Cubs' outfield look like without him and Jorge Soler? Can Austin Jackson and Chris Coghlan provide enough offense?
"Less than 24 hours after hitting a game-winning homer in the seventh Tuesday, Schwarber was scratched from the lineup, sent for an MRI, and after the game manager Joe Maddon said he didn't expect an update on Schwarber until Friday," writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
"Schwarber left Wrigley Field, presumably to get an MRI, but side/rib/oblique injuries are always tricky," Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com adds. "The Cubs will undoubtedly err on the side of caution, as even if they didn't have a cushion in the wild-card race there's no rushing a player back from those kinds of injuries."
Even a mild oblique injury could keep Schwarber out for two weeks, which would really hurt the Cubs as they look to maintain the second NL wild-card spot with only 30 games remaining. In the first two weeks of this month Chicago has series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Diamondbacks lead the NL in runs scored; the Cardinals are the best team in the MLB; the Phillies are 3-0 against the Cubs this year; and the Pirates are the second-best team in the NL.
They also have to face the Cardinals and Pirates in the final two weeks of the season.
Schwarber's potential extended absence comes at an inopportune time. While Chicago leads the Giants by 6.5 games in the wild-card race, San Francisco has a somewhat breezy month of September. They'll face the Rockies (seven games), Diamondbacks (six games), Padres (six games), Reds (three games), Athletics (three games) and Dodgers (three games). The Cubs will need all the help they can get to maintain that lead over San Francisco.
Schwarber's bat has been invaluable since the Cubs promoted him to the MLB. The 22-year-old is batting .270/.365/.552 with 41 runs scored, 13 home runs and 38 RBIs in 48 games.
A stint on the disabled list is certainly not out of the question, especially since various teams have been cautious about such injuries this season. Stay tuned for updates on Schwarber.
