Kyle Schwarber was scratched from Wednesday’s game after he felt something in his rib cage/side area, and the Cubs sent him for further testing. The results of those tests/further evaluation/etc. have not yet been discussed by the Cubs. So keep that in mind before you freak out.
Schwarber is not in today’s lineup. Instead, Chris Coghlan starts in left field, and Austin Jackson plays in right.
We’ll see if this is going to be a long-term thing for Schwarber, or if he’s just getting some time to rest.
With Jon Lester starting today (putting David Ross behind the plate, and taking away a plausible Schwarber spot anyway), and a lefty starting tomorrow for the Diamondbacks, perhaps the Cubs will give him today and tomorrow off no matter what, given that the impact of not having Schwarber for the next two days would be somewhat tempered by the matchups.
Although every game is critical at this stage of the season, next week’s games against the Pirates and Cardinals are slightly more critical – and the games at the end of the month and heading into October could be even more critical still. So, then, ensure Schwarber’s health right now is of paramount importance, even if there’s short-term pain. Remember: it’s been a very long season for a guy who is in his first full professional year, and caught a ton of games in the minor leagues before coming up. Schwarber’s a beast, but everyone needs a break now and again.
UPDATE: That was fast. Here’s the word from the Cubs:
Kyle Schwarber will be re-evaluated in 3-5 days. Won't play before then, right rib soreness
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) September 4, 2015
Schwarber out this series, likely out in STL. Mild right rib cage strain. Rest for 3 to 5 days, see how it responds & re-evaluate in STL
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) September 4, 2015
So, then, it’s not entirely unlike what I described above. Schwarber will get some rest over the next several days, and the Cubs will see how he’s feeling. This isn’t great news, as it kinda feels like Schwarber will be missing a week at a minimum, but it appears to be something quite shy of a doomsday oblique scenario.
In the interim, Austin Jackson will be picking up some additional starts, which, once again I say: thank goodness the Cubs picked up that guy.