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Cubs' Kyle Schwarber To Start In Left Field For First Time

(CBS) Cubs rookie Kyle Schwarber, a catcher by trade, is getting his first major league start in left field Wednesday afternoon when Chicago hosts the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field.

The move comes as the Cubs are in an offensive funk, hitting just .224 since the All-Star break, tied for third-worst in baseball. As his development behind the plate is still a work in progress, Schwarber hasn't been catching the Cubs' top pitchers -- Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester, who starts Wednesday. So manager Joe Maddon is utilizing another way to get Schwarber's bat into the lineup, as he's hitting .352 with three homers, 11 RBis and a 1.019 OPS in 18 games.

Schwarber has some experience playing outfield at lower levels of baseball, though the overwhelming majority of his playing time has come at catcher.

"Whenever the opportunity comes to put me in left, I'm going to go out there and try to play the best defense I can," Schwarber said in an interview with the Spiegel and Goff Show on 670 The Score on Wednesday morning. "I played out there last year in my half-season (in the minors). I'm confident out there.

"I've been putting in good work out there. Like I said, I'm going to go out there and play my best defense that I can. and just make the plays I need to make and go from there."

Some view left field as Schwarber's position of the future. While making clear he'll do whatever Maddon needs, Schwarber stressed that catcher is where he wants to be long term.

"I have a passion for it," Schwarber said of playing catcher. "I've done it my whole life, and I felt like I have a pretty good knowledge of the game back there. I knew I had a lot to work on (coming into the big leagues)."

In other lineup news for the Cubs on Wednesday, shortstop Starlin Castro and right fielder Jorge Soler have off days. Rookie Addison Russell will start at shortstop.

Listen to Schwarber's full interview on the Spiegel and Goff Show below.

Kyle Schwarber on the Spiegel and Goff Show

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