Schwarber: 'I'm not giving up on' catching next year

Kyle Schwarber returned as the Chicago Cubs' designated hitter almost seven months after tearing his ACL, helping the team win its first World Series since 1908, but the 23-year-old says he plans to contribute on the field next season.

"The next couple of months of rehab is going to be really important to make sure I'm going to be ready to go with that," Schwarber said during an appearance on MLB Network Radio.

"And with catching, I plan on still catching next year, I don't know what the plan is but I know I'm not going to give up on it."

Schwarber began his minor-league career as a catcher, appearing in 72 games from 2014-15. After being called up by the Cubs in 2015, he started 15 games at backstop before shifting to the outfield, which he's manned ever since.

The slugger entered 2016 as the Cubs' everyday left fielder, but after a collision with teammate Dexter Fowler ended his regular season, Schwarber had to put everything on hold, rehabbing his injury before appearing in the Fall League, leading to an unexpected World Series appearance.

"I'm not going to lie, I didn't feel the best coming out of the Fall League either, I still didn't feel that good with my swing but once they got to the series it's what you look for and the adrenaline rush you're going to get," Schwarber said.

"For the organization and the players to give me the faith, to hop in the lineup to try and contribute, it meant the world to me and I just didn't want to fail them."