Cubs rally behind Schwarber after season-ending injury

The Chicago Cubs pride themselves on their exceptional depth, but even baseball's juggernaut was reeling Friday from news that slugger Kyle Schwarber will miss the year with multiple torn knee ligaments.

"He's upset. I think we all are. But you got to move on. The game doesn't wait for anybody," catcher David Ross told reporters before the club resumed its four-game series with Arizona. "He's going to missed. No sugar-coating it. He's a big part of this team. We'll mourn for a minute, then go and try to beat the Diamondbacks."

MRI results on Friday revealed a torn ACL and LCL in Schwarber's left knee, as well as a severely sprained ankle, which he suffered during a violent collision Thursday with teammate Dexter Fowler. Already equipped with several depth pieces in Jorge Soler, Tommy La Stella, and players with multi-position abilities such as Ben Zobrist and Kris Bryant, the Cubs are confident they can withstand the loss of the 23-year-old slugging Schwarber.

"We're going to pick him up," Bryant said. "We've got some guys who can hopefully fill his place. It'll be a tough one to fill. We'll work through it."

The fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Schwarber made the Cubs' opening day roster after a torrid second half in 2015, which included 16 homers in 69 games as a rookie. He capped his first season by slashing .333/.419/.889 with a franchise-record five homers during the postseason.

"No one's going to feel sorry for (us)," All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo said. "We all feel bad for Kyle. It's terrible. We got to go out, and do a job no matter who goes down. It's just tough man. He did everything to prepare to break out and become an even bigger star."