When retired Major League Baseball player Ben Zobrist committed to participate in Home Run Derby X in Des Moines, the former Chicago Cubs star grabbed his bat and started taking some swings.

Zobrist, who last played in a game during the 2019 season, got in some hacks at a cage at his home and at a high school where he helps coach.

“I’m trying to get in the batting cage as much as I can,” Zobrist said in a phone interview with the Des Moines Register.

He's hoping the practice pays off because he’ll have plenty of competition. Zobrist, a member of the 2016 Cubs World Series championship team, is among the headliners in the event that will take place at Principal Park on Aug. 30 at 6:30 p.m. The field of competitors also includes former MLB stars Jake Arrieta, Adam Wainwright, Rick Ankie

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