He's Back: Kyle Schwarber makes his return to Chicago

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The Schwarbs is back in Chicago.

The Cubs recalled Kyle Schwarber from Triple-A Iowa early Thursday morning.

The left-handed slugger was sent down to the minors on June 22 after struggling to the tune of a .171 batting average (the lowest among qualified big-league hitters) and .673 OPS in 64 games.

Schwarber was sent down to regain confidence and fine-tune his swing so he could get back to doing damage on fastballs. 

Think it's safe to say Schwarber accomplished that goal.

After a few days off to clear his head, Schwarber reported to Iowa and mashed, hitting four homers and driving in nine runs in 11 games to go with a .343/.477/.714 slash line (1.192 OPS). Schwarber walked eight times against 12 strikeouts.

Schwarber could be the July boost this Cubs team needs as his bat changes the landscape of this lineup, especially if he can help bring stability to the leadoff spot.

It's also worth noting Schwarber dealt with some bad luck this season, as his .193 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) illustrates.

In a corresponding move, the Cubs placed John Lackey on the 10-day disabled list with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The team had already moved around their rotation to give Lackey some extra rest and with the four-day All-Star Break coming up next week, Lackey may not even miss a start.

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