Schwarber will be the designated hitter and bat fifth in Monday's game against the Royals.

EDGE Analysis

This will be just the second time in 10 games this season that Schwarber will serve as the DH, so manager David Ross has been true to his word that the slugger would frequently play in the field. Schwarber has posted an .851 OPS and two home runs through the Cubs' first nine games. Expect him to be back in left field as soon as Tuesday.

Schwarber went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Schwarber started in left field and delivered his second homer of the season -- a two-run bomb in the eighth inning off reliever Michael Feliz. He got off to a strong start this season, reaching base in all but one of his first eight games in 2020.

Schwarber is starting in left field and batting fourth in Sunday's game against the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

That's three straight starts in left field to begin the season for Schwarber. Manager David Ross spoke before the year about how he didn't view Schwarber as the team's DH, and so far, he's sticking to that. Victor Caratini and Willson Contreras have alternated between catching and serving as DH so far in 2020.

Schwarber went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run homer in Saturday's loss to the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

The home run cut Milwaukee's lead to 4-3, though the Cubs stalled from there in the 8-3 loss. Schwarber hit a career-high 38 home runs last season, and while that number seems unattainable in a 60-game season, he should still provide good power numbers in 2020.

Chicago manager David Ross told Schwarber that he won't be the team's sole DH this season, with the Cubs planning to rotate players through the position instead, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

EDGE Analysis

Schwarber has said previously he prefers playing the field over the idea of becoming a full-time DH, and this would seem to confirm that he'll get his wish. While the slugger has improved in left field, his power bat is still his calling card, so the Cubs will likely keep him fresh by having him DH often. Steven Souza has also been mentioned as a likely DH candidate because he's returning from a serious knee injury, and Ian Happ could fit the bill, too. Schwarber is a decent bet to lead the team in DH at-bats this season, but Ross figures to stick to his word and mix and match in the position to some degree.

Schwarber has said previously he prefers playing the field over the idea of becoming a full-time DH during his career, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

EDGE Analysis

Schwarber has improved in left field over the course of his MLB career, and the 27-year-old seems to take pride in playing defense and not being known as only a slugger. However, he also owns a .299 average and 1.046 OPS in 22 career games as a DH during interleague play, so he may be the Cubs' best option for the role if MLB adopts a universal DH for some type of shortened 2020 season. Wittenmyer lists Ian Happ, Steven Souza and Jason Kipnis as other potential DH candidates, though it makes a lot of sense to put Schwarber in the spot most days.

Schwarber is a likely candidate to DH this year if MLB adopts a universal DH when the season is able to begin, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

EDGE Analysis

The universal DH idea has been tossed around as part of various proposals to start a compacted season with reduced travel. Schwarber would be a natural choice for the position, allowing the Cubs to deploy speedier options across the outfield. It could benefit the 27-year-old's offensive numbers as well, as he wouldn't be pulled from games for a defensive replacement.

Schwarber went up the middle or the opposite way on 70.5 percent of his hits in 2019, a new career high, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Schwarber had his best season as a pro in 2019, registering a career-best .870 OPS, and using all parts of the field was part of the reason for his success. Sharma also reports that the slugger showed improvement against high fastballs and upped his contact rate as well. Schwarber will always strike out a fair amount given his approach at the plate, but if he continues to show improvement in these areas, his overall offensive production should continue to climb.

Schwarber posted a 33.3 percent strikeout rate in 11 Cactus League games before MLB suspended play.

EDGE Analysis

The small sample size caveat applies here, but it's still a bit unsettling to see strikeouts be an issue for Schwarber. The slugger had cut his strikeout rate each of the past two seasons after fanning 30.9 percent of the time in 2017. He also saw his OPS increase in each of the last two seasons. Schwarber's game will always involve a decent number of strikeouts, but keeping that rate around last year's 25.6 percent or lower will certainly be useful.

Schwarber is likely to remain the Cubs' emergency catcher this year but not get regular playing time there, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Schwarber appeared just once behind the plate last year and didn't play there at all in 2018, so he's far removed from being a regular catcher, and that doesn't appear likely to change. Chicago may even elect to carry a third catcher with rosters expanded to 26 players, so Schwarber will primarily play in left field again.