Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber faced Jon Lester during Wednesday’s live batting practice and Schwarber shared his experience on what it was like facing the crafty left-hander with Taylor McGregor on Cubs 360 Summer Camp. 

Cubs hitters have been facing pitchers during intrasquad scrimmages and batting practice. For Schwarber, facing live pitching helps with plate discipline and provides pitchers into a game mentality.

“It’s more plate discipline to see some pitches and once we roll into our sim games, that’s where we’re kind of going to be getting the game experience for us. We’re going to have fielders out there. There’s no screens and we’re running the bases,” Schwarber said. “When we are doing our live sessions, it’s more of getting your eye down, see some pitches and get ready for that sim game and also, try to help out our pitchers as much as possible. Plus we also give them feedback.”

When Schwarber faced Lester in batting practice, he was impressed with the way his teammate was commanding the baseball. 

“He threw me a couple of 4-seams down and away, some other pitches and I told him ‘If you got that, you open up so much more of the rest of your arsenal,’” Schwarber said. “He punched me out so he must have done really well. He looks great and he looks awesome out there physically and I think that we’re all happy that he’s back and that the whole team’s out here right now and that we are ready to go.”