Chicago Cubs Report: Kyle Schwarber being called up Friday

Schwarber returns while Montero is out

According to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, the Chicago Cubs are calling up catching prospect Kyle Schwarber for their weekend series in Atlanta.

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The need for Schwarber’s recall comes after a thumb injury to Miguel Montero who injured his thumb last week against the White Sox when he chased after a wild pitch by Jon Lester.

It is still unknown if Montero will need a stint on the disabled list, but according to CSNChicago.com, it is possible a move to the DL could happen to make room for Schwarber’s call up to the big leagues.

This will be the second time this summer that the Chicago Cubs have called up Kyle Schwarber; the first time back in June when the Cubs were getting ready for interleague play against the Cleveland Indians and the Minnesota Twins. In his six games with the Cubs, Schwarber went 8-for-22, including a triple, homer, six runs batted in, and a walk.

He is coming off an outstanding showing in the MLB Futures Game over the All-Star break, where he won the MVP with his two-run triple to help Team USA defeat the World Team.

The Cubs did activate David Ross from the seven-day disabled list that he was required to be on after a collision that caused him to sustain a concussion. The team also has Tyler Teagarden on the roster, so it seems as of this moment, the Cubs will be going with their three-headed catcher committee once again.

Will this call-up be a permanent promotion? Time will tell if that is the case. If Schwarber performs as well as he has been, there is no reason not to think he couldn’t stay in Chicago, but if Montero is only going to be out for the 15 days, the Cubs might want to still have their future catcher to have consistent playing time and send him back down to Iowa.

If he does make an impact, it does make for a good problem for manager Joe Maddon and the Cubs and come September 1st, the rosters will expand to add the extra bats. It is probably a safe bet that regardless of what happens for the rest of July and into the beginning of August, Schwarber will be with the Cubs during their potential playoff push.

Next: Will James Shields find himself on the Northside?