Kyle Schwarber Won't Play The Outfield For Cubs In World Series

Kyle Schwarber has made a huge impact on the World Series in just two games. The Chicago Cubs outfielder has improbably come back from a serious knee injury to give his team’s offense some much-needed postseason pop. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like he’ll be playing much over the next three games.

On Thursday, Cubs president Theo Epstein popped the Schwarber Fan Club’s balloon when he said the 23-year-old hadn’t been medically cleared to play the outfield.

During the series’ first two games in Cleveland, Schwarber went 3-for-7 as the team’s designated hitter. He had a double, two RBIs, two walks, and an average of .429 and an OPS of 1.127. Obviously the Cubs would love to have his bat in the lineup for Games 3, 4 and 5, but he’ll likely only see action as a pinch hitter.

Schwarber’s bat is a difference-maker but obviously he’s coming back from a major injury. He had surgery to repair the ACL and LCL in his left knee in April and his long-term health is more important than a few at-bats in the World Series.