Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber optioned to Triple-A

By Sports Illustrated and Scooby Axson/Sports Illustrated
Published

The Chicago Cubs optioned outfielder Kyle Schwarber to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, hoping he can break out of a season's long slump.

Schwarber, 24, is hitting .171 with 12 home runs and 28 RBI in 64 games this season. He has struck out 75 times, tied for sixth-most in the National League and has a .295 on-base percentage

Schwarber missed the virtually the entire regular season in 2016 after injuring his knee in the third game of the season.

He did return for the postseason, playing in five World Series games. He hit seven hits in 17 at-bats in the seven-game series against the Cleveland Indians.

The Cubs are 37–34 this season, 1.5 games out of first place in the NL Central.