Chicago Cubs making potential mistake in bringing back Kyle Schwarber

On Thursday, the Chicago Cubs brought Kyle Schwarber back to the big leagues. This is a mistake that could prove costly to the team.

According to multiple reports, the Chicago Cubs brought back outfielder/catcher Kyle Schwarber back from Triple-A Iowa ahead of Thursday’s game against Milwaukee. The Cubs demoted Schwarber, 24, to Triple-A Iowa on June 22 after he hit just .171 in 22 at-bats.

Schwarber has had quite the resurgence in Iowa since his demotion; in nine games (30 at-bats) with the team, he hit .343 with four home runs and nine RBIs. Schwarber also has walked six times to go along with a 1.191 OPS. During his time in the MLB this season, he has an OPS of just .673.

For the sake of comparison, New York Yankees’ outfielder Aaron Judge leads MLB with a 1.135 OPS. While it is true that Schwarber’s sample size is small, it’s evident that he has made strides during his demotion. Be that as it may, the Cubs should have held off on bringing him back this soon.

After picking up a win on Wednesday against Tampa Bay, the Cubs sit at 42-42. The team has four games left before the All-Star Break. One – a make-up Thursday against the Brewers and three over the weekend against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Possible negative effects to promotion this week?

Considering how he has played with Iowa, Schwarber could make a big difference in the final days of the first-half. However, one has to worry about the possible negative repercussions to promoting him if he struggles.

If Schwarber’s big league woes continue, he would have the entire four-day break to sit and stew in his thoughts. A break from baseball could be exactly what the doctor ordered for the young slugger, of course. At the same time, Schwarber focusing on his struggles would not be ideal for him or the team.

Instead of calling him up for a few games, the Cubs should have waited until their July 14-16 series against the Baltimore Orioles. By waiting until after the break, Schwarber can continue to excel with Iowa and rejoin the Cubs in an interleague series. If the team brings him back then, he could DH, thus focus on hitting and nothing else.

There is no reason for the Cubs to rush bringing Schwarber back. Realistically, the rewards from waiting to recall  him outweigh the rewards of bringing him back for these four games.

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While four games could make a big difference in the team’s record in the end, the Cubs have enough depth to stay afloat. As long as this is true, the Cubs should have waited to bring him back until after the break.