CLEVELAND – Is there any potential scenario where the Cubs keep Kyle Schwarber around longer than this six-game audition?
“No,” manager Joe Maddon said. “Unless we move to the American League.”
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The Cubs usually like to parse language and overthink things, but they haven’t left any wiggle room with Schwarber, who is maximizing his time as a designated hitter and showing he will become a force in this lineup (after he works on his catching at Triple-A Iowa).
On a night where the Cubs sat through two separate rain delays that combined lasted one hour and 41 minutes – and struck out seven times in a row at one point – Schwarber launched his first big-league home run during Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.