MESA, Ariz. _ After returning to catching Friday for the first time in nearly 11 months, Kyle Schwarber knows there's more to getting re-acclimated to the position than just testing his surgically repaired left knee.
"It's going to be limited," Schwarber said Sunday morning at the Chicago Cubs' rain-soaked spring training complex. "My role right now is going to be most likely the third catcher. I got Willson (Contreras) and Miggy (Montero) ahead of me. I got to be ready at any time to come in from left field to maybe catch or give those guys a blow.
"It's not like I'm going to be the everyday starter. It's just for me to be prepared for that. I got to do some work. That's why I'm trying to get back there and see some pitches, get my eyes retrained again."
Schwarber said he employed a catching style last season that featured his right leg extended. But in an effort to take stress off his knee after tearing two knee ligaments on April 7, Schwarber now extends his left leg.
"Obviously, I want to do more," Schwarber said. "But you got to take it slow with the knee and the injury."
