Cubs taking slow path with Schwarber's work at catcher

MESA, Ariz. - There's very little stopping Kyle Schwarber.

All the Cubs can hope to do is contain their hardworking slugger.

Schwarber has been in Arizona working hard as he tries to make a full comeback from last April's major knee surgery.

There was a happy little detour, of course, when Schwarber was activated for the World Series and helped the Cubs win it as the designated hitter in the four games at Cleveland.

The Cubs vow to take it easy with Schwarber, and will limit his time as a catcher in spring-training drills.

"If he's medically cleared today to start introducing some catching as we expect him to be, we're going to really go slow with it, like one or two days a week in spring training," said team president Theo Epstein. "His primary focus is going to be a left fielder, and the goal, if he is cleared, would be to have him ready potentially at the end of spring training to fill that role of third catcher.

"We're not going to give him too much.

"His future is too valuable. We want him to have the longest possible career. He makes such a great impact on us with his bat and the person that he is, that we don't want to do anything to jeopardize the length and impact of his career."

Epstein injected a note of humor into how the Cubs will handle Schwarber.

"We're just going to walk before we run, or walk before we squat, I guess is the appropriate thing to say with catching," he said.

"He's going to be with the catching group every morning. But he's only going to do physical catching activity one to two days a week."

Schwarber took batting practice and went out to left field Tuesday as pitchers and catchers reported for spring training.

Even though position players don't have to be in camp until Friday, many are at the Cubs complex and working out hard.

"I'm 100 percent, ready to go," Schwarber said. "I'm sure there will be some off-days and things like that. I'm going to take it easy but get some work in."

Schwarber, the Cubs' top draft pick in 2014, came up as a catcher, but the Cubs have Willson Contreras and Miguel Montero ahead of him.

When he suffered the knee injury last April, he was playing left field. Schwarber said he will wear a knee brace all year, as he did in the World Series.

"I feel once you get used to it, it becomes a part of you, and I'm already starting to get used to it," he said.

Catch this:

Manager Joe Maddon said Willson Contreras is the clear No. 1 catcher, with veteran Miguel Montero backing him up. Contreras made his major-league debut last June 19, homering on the first major-league pitch he saw.

Montero expressed unhappiness with how he was used in the postseason, but Maddon said there is no problem.

"Willson will get the preponderance of play, and Miggy will be out there," he said. "But again, you never know what's going to happen during the course of a season, whether it's an injury or a performance. Coming through spring training, you'll look at probably Willy catching 4-5 games a week and maybe Miggy 1 or 2. I have to sit down and talk to them about it.

"I have no problem with Miggy whatsoever. Miggy was so large in our performance at the end of last season."

Contreras also is expected to catch veteran lefty Jon Lester, who had David Ross as his personal catcher the past two seasons. Ross has retired, but he is in camp as a special assistant and will work with Contreras on the transition.

Finding time for them all:

Javier Baez is one of the many position players in camp. Baez made a name for himself last season and in the postseason with his slick fielding and power at the plate.

Joe Maddon will have to find playing time for him as well as veteran Ben Zobrist.

"I'm pretty sure we're going to rotate a lot with everybody," said Baez, who came up as a shortstop and can play third. "Wherever they put me, I'm just going to try to do my best."

Baez will play second base for Puerto Rico in this spring's World Baseball Classic.