Cubs 'mentally' preparing for Zobrist to miss rest of season

Ben Zobrist's season may be over.

Three weeks after the Chicago Cubs' super-utility player took a personal leave after filing for legal separation from his wife, Julianna, Cubs manager Joe Maddon is preparing to be without Zobrist for the rest of the year.

"I have to think that way, absolutely," Maddon said Tuesday, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.

"I hope that's not the case. But he's at the point now where if he chose to come back, it's going to take him a while to get back up to speed, too. We have to mentally be prepared that we will not have him."

Zobrist, who's been married to Julianna since 2005, claimed his wife "has been guilty of inappropriate marital conduct which render further cohabitation impossible," according to a three-page filing acquired by The Tennessean two weeks ago. The filing also said Zobrist is "unsure if the marriage can be salvaged."

Julianna filed for divorce the same day Ben filed for legal separation, The Tennessean added.

The three-time All-Star, who was hitting .241/.343/.253 with 10 RBIs before he went on leave, has been an integral part of the Cubs' lineup since signing with the organization in 2015.

In four seasons with the Cubs, Zobrist owns a .269/.362/.412 slash line with 39 homers and 194 RBIs while playing five different positions.

"Ben has always been a big part of the team," teammate Kyle Schwarber explained, according to Wittenmyer. "He's been a guy who always puts in a professional at-bat every time he's up there. He's a contact guy, too, so without him here, obviously we miss him. But we still have to do our job.

"But he's missed."

Zobrist is in the final season of a four-year deal he signed with Chicago in 2015.