Decision Reached on Kyle Schwarber's Status: Reports

Word broke last week that Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber was heading to Arizona to take live at-bats in preparation for a possible World Series role, and on Monday night, there are reports out that the team has made their decision on his status.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network and Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball, Schwarber is flying to Cleveland on Monday night and, barring unforeseen circumstances, is expected to be the designated hitter when the Cubs kick off the World Series against the Cleveland Indians.

Schwarber, who tore the ACL in his left knee in an early season game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, began working out at Wrigley Field before games during the summer, and his rehab progressed rapidly after that. He was cleared to hit by doctors that performed his knee surgery last week, and he played in two Arizona Fall League games to determine if he was ready to be placed on the team's playoff roster.

There is no word on which player would come off the roster to make room for Schwarber, but Morosi speculated that it could be outfielder Jorge Soler. Outfielder Chris Coghlan has also been mentioned, as has left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny.

The Cubs' official World Series roster will be announced on Tuesday morning as they prepare for the start of the Fall Classic.

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