Schwarber-mania takes over Wrigley Field

The Legend of Kyle Schwarber has arrived at Wrigley Field.

Schwarber's status has been the subject of increasing interest over the last 24 hours, after the Chicago Cubs power hitter followed up his impressive Game 1 return with another performance Wednesday that had his teammates awestruck.

Schwarber, who missed the entire regular season and first two rounds of the playoffs due to multiple torn ligaments in his knee, assumed the designated hitter role for the first two games in Cleveland and went 3-for-7 with a double and two runs batted in. Including last year's record-breaking postseason (Schwarber hit five homers in nine games), the burly slugger now owns the highest OPS in postseason history (1.274) among players with at least 30 at-bats.

Despite Schwarber's success at the plate, his status at Wrigley remained in doubt until late Thursday afternoon, when Theo Epstein announced the slugger was not medically cleared to play the outfield for Games 3 through 5. Epstein said Schwarber's big bat will be available as a pinch-hitter in those games, and he'll return to the lineup in Cleveland as a designated hitter, if necessary.

As fans and media alike waited with bated breath of Schwarber's medical evaluation, his every move was being documented during a circus-like atmosphere at Wrigley: