Kyle Schwarber will be with the Chicago Cubs for the World Series and it appears likely that he'll be in the lineup for Game 1 as the club's designated hitter.

Schwarber, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game of the year, has played in two Arizona Fall League games.

"To have another young guy here who has a track record of hitting home runs, who is a threat, who, when you see his name in the lineup, there's some scariness to that -- we can't wait to have him back," Addison Russell said. "I'm a big Kyle Schwarber fan. I love what he does; I can't wait until he gets here."

The Cubs players have watched Schwarber rehab all season. No one expected him to recover this quickly, yet they aren't surprised either.

"You see him full of sweat -- when we're playing, he doesn't go home, he's watching video," Anthony Rizzo said. "I've probably yelled at him at least 10 times this year. He's looking at his swing in April, May, June -- 'Schwarbs, what are you doing? Just watch baseball and enjoy it.' But he's going over scouting reports, seeing how to pitch guys and really dissecting every game and trying to learn by not playing."

Clayton Kershaw is unlikely to require back surgery for the herniated disk that sidelined him for more than two months during the season.

"Like all of our guys, we have exit physicals and conversations with trainers and doctors," Andrew Friedman said. "I'm sure that will take place, and I don't expect it to be anything that's newsworthy."

Kershaw returned in early September, but never publicly went into detail about his back injury.

The Cubs haven't ruled out a possible return for injured slugger Kyle Schwarber, if the team were to advance to the World Series.

Schwarber, who tore two ligaments in his left knee in just the third game of the regular season, has been cleared by doctors to hit. He will join the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League on Saturday.

"It was a pleasant surprise," Cubs president Theo Epstein said before Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. "We got news that was better than expected."

After weeks of being broken and bloodied, the Indians' pitching staff might have reinforcements in the World Series.

Starter Danny Salazar, who hasn't pitched since Sept. 9 because of tightness in his right forearm, has thrown well in recent bullpen sessions and might be able to pitch for the first time this postseason.

Manager Terry Francona said Friday that Salazar has "let it go" during some recent workouts and has not been restricted to throwing only fastballs and changeups.

"I think he's ready to pitch," Francona said as they awaited their Series opponent.

Trevor Bauer was forced out of his Game 3 start after just four batters when blood began to drip out of his right pinkie finger.

Six relievers combined to record 25 outs for the Cleveland Indians, who took a 3-0 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS with a 4-2 victory at Rogers Centre.

"I'm a competitor, man. I want to be out there," Bauer said. "I wouldn't have gone out there if I didn't want to be out there. It was my turn to pitch, and I expected myself to go deep in the ballgame, like I always do."

Bauer gashed his finger while doing routine maintenance on a drone last week in Cleveland and had his scheduled start pushed back from Game 2. He says his finger hadn't bleed for a few days.

"When I went out there and got to the mound, I couldn't believe how much it was bleeding," Terry Francona said. "I can't believe he hid it for the two pitches. I mean, it was on the dirt, it was on the rubber. And Brian Gorman looked at me and said, 'He can't pitch.' I was like, 'I know that.'"

Injured Cleveland right-hander Danny Salazar threw what appeared to be a simulated game Sunday night at Rogers Centre.

Salazar has been out since Sept. 9 with forearm issues. The All-Star is not on the roster for the Indians in the AL Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, but he took the mound at the end of Cleveland's workout and threw to hitters.

Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos had surgery on his right knee and his rehabilitation is expected to take six to eight months.

Washington said Ramos had the operation on Friday, hours after the team's season ended with a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of their National League Division Series.

Dustin Pedroia underwent surgery to clean up his left meniscus, the Boston Red Sox announced.

The procedure -- a partial medial meniscectomy and chondroplasty -- was performed Wednesday by team orthopedist Dr. Peter Asnis at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Pedroia is expected to "make a full recovery" in time for spring training.

He was apparently injured when he ranged for a ball up the middle and twisted awkwardly to make a throw on Sept. 11. He sat out a Sept. 20 game with what the Red Sox called a sore knee.

This marks the latest in a series of offseason surgeries for Pedroia, who dealt with finger, thumb and wrist injuries after the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Francisco Liriano is on track to rejoin the Toronto Blue Jays for Game 2 of the ALCS on Saturday after a bullpen session went well on Thursday.

Liriano was placed on the seven-day disabled list after being struck in the back of the head by a line drive in the ALDS against the Texas Rangers.

Tyson Ross will undergo surgery to deal with symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome.

The San Diego Padres hope Ross will be healthy enough to begin the 2017 season.

Ross started on Opening Day before missing the remainder of the year.