The Kyle Schwarber 2016 Watch

[Tony]

How awesome was The Ultimate Schwarrior last night? He's just so easy to root for.

No.

Poor Mike Olt. If he wasn't blind he would have been the Oltimate Warrior.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

How awesome was The Ultimate Schwarrior last night? He's just so easy to root for.

No.

Poor Mike Olt. If he wasn't blind bad at baseball he would have been the Oltimate Warrior.

[Tony]

So.... left field on Friday then?

Give him Friday off and see where we're at.  This is all, of course, dependent on how he looks and feels shagging flys today.

The weather will actually be nice and the ground should be dry, so the conditions might be optimal for it.  At the same time, I'm okay with the notion of Miller being tethered to the bullpen bench until Schwarber's only at-bat of each game, which itself would seem to give Maddon a slight tactical advantage so I'm good with either decision.

The problem with saving him for one pinch hit at bat it he will probably be facing Miller. Is one at bat against a dominant lefty reliever the best way to use him?

[Grandmaster Wang]

The problem with saving him for one pinch hit at bat it he will probably be facing Miller. Is one at bat against a dominant lefty reliever the best way to use him?

Intrepid Reader: Kyle Schwarber
FUCK THAT CHUMP. KYLE SMASH!

[CT III]

Here's a crazy idea - play him in right.  Baez ranges waaaay the hell into the outfield on almost every fly ball.  With Javy basically playing short RF, Schwarber can sit back in "no doubles" mode. 

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

So.... left field on Friday then?

Give him Friday off and see where we're at.  This is all, of course, dependent on how he looks and feels shagging flys today.

The weather will actually be nice and the ground should be dry, so the conditions might be optimal for it.  At the same time, I'm okay with the notion of Miller being tethered to the bullpen bench until Schwarber's only at-bat of each game, which itself would seem to give Maddon a slight tactical advantage so I'm good with either decision.

The problem with saving him for one pinch hit at bat it he will probably be facing Miller. Is one at bat against a dominant lefty reliever the best way to use him?

If anyone can get to Miller--and I have confidence that someone will before this is over-- it'll be Schwarbs.

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

Here's a crazy idea - play him in right.  Baez ranges waaaay the hell into the outfield on almost every fly ball.  With Javy basically playing short RF, Schwarber can sit back in "no doubles" mode. 

Not a bad thought.  Small outfield in Wrigley anyway (keep in mind that part of the reason he got hurt was because he was in a big park and a ball that would've been long gone in Wrigley was in play for him and Dex to both reach on a full sprint), no sun field for a night game, the dude's got a good arm....not a bad thought at all, CT.

[Bort]

Here's a crazy idea - play him in right.  Baez ranges waaaay the hell into the outfield on almost every fly ball.  With Javy basically playing short RF, Schwarber can sit back in "no doubles" mode.  

Not a bad thought.  Small outfield in Wrigley anyway (keep in mind that part of the reason he got hurt was because he was in a big park and a ball that would've been long gone in Wrigley was in play for him and Dex to both reach on a full sprint), no sun field for a night game, the dude's got a good arm....not a bad thought at all, CT.

Now we'll never know if this is what you really believe or if CT used his MODS power on you.

Both Huey and CT are right.

[Tony]

Here's a crazy idea - play him in right.  Baez ranges waaaay the hell into the outfield on almost every fly ball.  With Javy basically playing short RF, Schwarber can sit back in "no doubles" mode.  

Not a bad thought.  Small outfield in Wrigley anyway (keep in mind that part of the reason he got hurt was because he was in a big park and a ball that would've been long gone in Wrigley was in play for him and Dex to both reach on a full sprint), no sun field for a night game, the dude's got a good arm....not a bad thought at all, CT.

Now we'll never know if this is what you really believe or if CT used his MODS power on you.

Both Huey and CT are right.

I never considered using him in right, but I was thinking Addison could probably cover half of his territory anyway. Javy even more so. He's been practically shaking hands with the outfielders after they catch the ball.

[Brownie]

My best guess is he won't play the whole game whether he starts or comes in later.

Option 1:

- start him in LF (or RF, sure) and let him get a few at bats against the RHP dujour and hopefully he Cubs build a lead that he can come out and Heyward can play the last few innings in RF

Option 2:
- bring him in as a PH relatively early (fourth, fifth sixth inning) to see if Francona goes to Miller, then leave him in the game to get a couple more at bats

[Chuck to Chuck]

My best guess is he won't play the whole game whether he starts or comes in later.

Option 1:

- start him in LF (or RF, sure) and let him get a few at bats against the RHP dujour and hopefully he Cubs build a lead that he can come out and Heyward can play the last few innings in RF

Option 2:
- bring him in as a PH relatively early (fourth, fifth sixth inning) to see if Francona goes to Miller, then leave him in the game to get a couple more at bats

Option 3:
- make sure his injured leg doesn't get near the brick wall because that would be bad for injured legs. It's fine for healthy legs.

[PenFoe]

Just so I understand, the plan y'all want is to not only have him play the field for the first time since April, but to have him play a position he's never played before? 

[SKO]

Just so I understand, the plan y'all want is to not only have him play the field for the first time since April, but to have him play a position he's never played before?  

Played 4 games in right with 2 starts there last year. He also started in RF in the WC game because Pittsburgh has a small right field and a cavernous left field. Good work, Peniswrong.

[Powdered Toast Man]

Personally, I think the Cubs got more than they were wishing for when they added him to the World Series roster--he had great AB's in an AL park that helped the Cubs split those two games. That's enormous...

If the doctors say his rehab is complete and he can play the field, then so be it. But that also likely means that someone's taking a seat--Zobrist (yeah right), Baez (yeah right), Bryant (yeah right) or Heyward (eehhh).

It comes down to Heyward vs. Schwarber. I guess the best thing, if he can play OF, is start him in LF and take him out later in the game if the Cubs have a lead and replace him with Heyward (Zobrist to LF, Heyward to RF).

I just don't want him to be rushed back and risk some freak injury causing runs to score and further push back his readiness for next season. But then again can't you say that about every player?

This is a good problem to have.

[Yeti]

Just so I understand, the plan y'all want is to not only have him play the field for the first time since April, but to have him play a position he's never played before?  

Played 4 games in right with 2 starts there last year. He also started in RF in the WC game because Pittsburgh has a small right field and a cavernous left field. Good work, Peniswrong.

He started RF in Game 1 of the Cardinals series. I WAS THERE, MAN.

Also, welcome back