Conventional thinking suggests carrying three catchers on a 25-man playoff roster is silly.

But Joe Maddon's Cubs reject convention at every turn and it's looking more and more likely all three catchers - David Ross, Willson Contreras and Miguel Montero - will be active for the National League Division Series.

Especially with the way Montero has been playing of late.

Contreras and Ross were already shoe-ins for the playoff roster, as both have done a solid job controlling the opposition's running game this season and Ross is Jon Lester's personal catcher.

Montero, meanwhile, has struggled to find consistency in 2016 and saw his playing time suffer the most with Contreras' emergence.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon hopes to keep all three catchers fresh down the stretch with Montero getting the start Sunday, Contreras in line to start Monday and then Ross behind the dish Tuesday with Lester on the hill.

"I just want to keep them all playing," Maddon said. "I think Miggy's really resurfacing nicely. I still don't want to beat up Contreras. That's been part of the plan all along - not play him too much. And we haven't."

As Maddon said, Montero has come on lately, including a walk-off home run Friday and a walk-off RBI single in the 13th inning on Aug. 29.

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Since the All-Star Break, Montero has posted a .340 on-base percentage and .702 OPS, which is more in line with his career marks (.342 OBP, .758 OPS).

He has been even hotter over the last month, hitting .322 with a .973 OPS since Aug. 20, tallying five extra-base hits and seven RBI in just eight starts in that span. He went 0-for-4 Sunday, but did hit a deep fly ball into the wind that fell just a couple feet short of landing in the left-field basket.

Montero has also improved his defense, throwing out four of the last 11 runners who attempted a steal after gunning down just three of 52 runners to begin the season.

"I just think his whole game has picked up," Maddon said. "He looks a lot more like he did last year. I think everything's gotten better - the throwing's gotten better, the hitting's gotten better, everything he's doing has gotten better.

"He's got a good bounce in his step right now, so I think he definitely has picked everything up. Give him a lot of credit."

Montero has also been to the postseason three times, including last season as the Cubs' primary catcher.

The pitching staff enjoys throwing to him and he's still valued as a pitch-framer.

Plus, Montero offers another left-handed bat off the bench on the days he doesn't start and with his prowess for late-game heroics of late, the Cubs can feel confident throwing him up there as a pinch-hitter.

With more than two weeks remaining until the NLDS starts, the Cubs still have some roster decisions to make, but the 33-year-old Montero seems primed for another shot at October.