Chicago Cubs Injury Rumors: Kyle Schwarber Suffers Left Leg Injury, out for Season
A freak collision involving two Chicago Cubs teammates resulted to a left leg injury to one of them, outfielder Kyle Schwarber, during a Thursday night game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Schwarber and Dexter Fowler were both chasing a line drive near left-center in the second inning when the former was hit in the leg by the latter upon contact.
The hit was thought to be a minor leg injury, but the what the team feared the most eventually became reality when a full MRI performed right after the game revealed that Schwarber torn both his ACL and LCL, which means he'll be out for the rest of the young season.
The fourth overall selection of the MLB Draft two years ago is currently the Cubs' backup catcher. His loss is a big one for Chicago which is hoping to go far this year. After the collision, he laid on the ground for a moment, as if waiting for the medical team to lift him up – a sign that he indeed was feeling the pain.
Although the Cubs won that game, 14-6, the loss of Schwarber is definitely a huge blow for their campaign. The 23-year old is a reliable offensive player for the Cubs, although his role is primarily a substitute catcher. Last year, he hit five homers in the postseason that set a franchise record and gave him the distinction of being a fan favorite in Chicago.
The reason why Schwarber was out there on the outfield was because the coaching staff wanted to keep his dynamic bat in the lineup, according to Yahoo Sports. He also is being groomed to become a more versatile player in terms of defense behind the plate. There was already some concern about his outfield duties, which many believe could result to injury. Unfortunately, that concern turned to reality.