Cubs' Kyle Schwarber: Will bat leadoff this season

Schwarber will bat leadoff for the Cubs this season, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago reports.

Analysis:

He had been the frontrunner for the spot this offseason, but it was finally confirmed Friday. The strategy for manager Joe Maddon here is to bat Kris Bryant second and Anthony Rizzo third, thus forcing pitchers to face a deadly trio right away. It's unclear who will take over on Schwarber's off days, but Ben Zobrist, Albert Almora, and Addison Russell have been mentioned as options. Schwarber, meanwhile, will have an immediate chance to contribute after missing nearly the entire 2016 season with a torn ACL and MCL.