CHICAGO -- If there is one thing 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist might be thankful for this season, it’s that it isn't over.

Zobrist, 36, has endured one ailment after another. But Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon isn’t running away from playing him. Maddon is even batting Zobrist in the middle of the Cubs' order because he -- and his veteran player -- believe Zobrist's best is yet to come.

“I still think he is who he is from the other side,” Maddon said recently of Zobrist’s stellar reputation among his opponents. “There’s that perception.

“Imagine me being in the other dugout. I’m paying attention to where he’s at all the time. The cache that he’s built up matters.”

Maddon is referring to Zobrist’s 12-year career, which has produced a .356 on-base percentage to go with a standing as professional as it is impeccable. The switch-hitter has come up with his biggest hits at the most important times of the season, especially in recent years, when Zobrist helped the Cubs last season and the Kansas City Royals in 2015 to World Series titles.

"I keep telling him, 'I wanted to keep you rested for this time of the year. This is your time coming up, September/October.' This is his time of the year."

Zobrist is going for a rare three-peat, but his .226 batting average and .315 on-base percentage heading into Tuesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds haven’t been much help to the Cubs this season. If Zobrist had enough plate appearances to qualify, his .675 OPS would rank 67th of 72 hitters in the National League. He isn't blaming those numbers on his injuries, but being thrown off his routine is especially bothersome for Zobrist, who has had two of the shortest offseasons in league history the past two years.

“It’s been a struggle to get healthy so I can do the work that I normally do just to be ready for those at-bats,” Zobrist said. “There has been too many times I’ve been taking at-bats and in the back of [my] mind, there’s something physical bothering me. That doesn’t make for a good, clear mind when you need to do what you’re capable of doing.”

Perhaps Zobrist has had some bad luck as well. His career batting average on balls in play is .289, yet it’s just .245 this season. That could be the result of soft contact -- though that’s not necessarily the case with Zobrist. According to ESPN Stats & Information, his hard-hit rate on balls is slightly up from last season. And it isn't a stretch to believe that Zobrist's .179 batting average against lefties is mostly due to his early-season wrist injury.

The bad wrist eventually landed Zobrist on the disabled list, and that was just the start of his problems. Next came neck and back issues. His season continued to start and stop, and the outs kept piling up. Zobrist has produced months hitting .216, .208 and .132, with correspondingly low on-base percentages. But August has been OK so far. A .250 batting average and .355 on-base percentage are cause for hope.

“I keep telling him, 'I wanted to keep you rested for this time of the year. This is your time coming up, September/October,'" Maddon said. “This is his time of the year. He’s trending properly right now. Even if he’s not hitting, he’ll accept his walk for the next hitter. Putting him in the middle, he’s surrounded by guys that will drive him in.”

That last point is an interesting one. It’s one thing for a struggling player to be in the lineup batting seventh or eighth, but Maddon insists -- much to the dismay of many fans -- on hitting Zobrist just ahead of or behind Kris Bryant and/or Anthony Rizzo. Of his 363 plate appearances this season, 304 have come batting first or fourth. That’s a lot for a .226 hitter, but the hope is that a hot streak in the heart of the order is around the corner.

“It’s been a work in progress,” Zobrist said. “Now that I can do the work in the cage, I’m stacking the important ingredients one on top of the other. I’m seeing a few small results, definitely the way I’m capable.”

On Sunday, Zobrist stranded runners in scoring position in two of his at-bats, but his game -- like his season -- wasn’t over. He singled in the eighth and 10th innings to help the Cubs to a dramatic win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Can he keep it up? His health might be a tougher battle than the one he faces against opposing pitchers.

“He says he’s feeling really good right now,” Maddon said.

Said Zobrist: “It’s definitely difficult to get into a groove when you’re not healthy. That’s not an excuse.”

When a team is fighting for a championship, production is what counts. With teammates such as Javier Baez, Ian Happ and Jon Jay pushing Zobrist for playing time, Maddon isn’t budging from his long-time star of two teams, dating to their days together with the Rays. Zobrist isn’t giving in, either. There’s still time for him to be a hero again.

“I think the best of my season is ahead of me,” he said. “I have been feeling a lot better, so I’ve been doing a lot more work in the cage and stuff that I hope starts showing up on the field a little more. It’s been coming.”