Cubs' Kyle Schwarber: Will be groomed as third catcher

Schwarber was cleared by doctors Wednesday to take part in catching drills and is expected to serve as the team's third backstop in 2017, Bruce Levine of 670 AM The Score reports.

Analysis:

Schwarber, who missed nearly all of 2016 while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL in the Cubs' second game of the season, is still projected to see the bulk of his starts in left field this season while Willson Contreras and Miguel Montero handle most of the duties at catcher, but it sounds like Schwarber will be more than just an emergency option behind the plate. The 23-year-old lost catcher eligibility in most leagues last season after his lone two starts came in the outfield, but it's not out of the realm of possibility that he reaches 20 starts at catcher by the end of 2017, though it may take an injury to Contreras or Montero for that to materialize. At this time, the potential of Schwarber regaining catcher eligibility is something that would likely raise his stock more in keeper leagues rather than single-season formats, where he'll presumably be an outfield-only option for the bulk of the campaign. Regardless of where he sees time this season, Schwarber's power is the main driver of his fantasy value, and if health prevails, he could surpass the 30-homer plateau while delivering ample returns in RBI and runs.