The spring training home of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Chicago Cubs just happens to be in Mesa.

Sloan Park is only 25 miles away from the Arizona Athletic Grounds, site of this week's Carvana Mesa Cup presented by Proton.

The Cubs are hard at work preparing for the 2025 season, and players and coaches alike have integrated pickleball into their routines to help the process along.

Case in point, this unique exercise that was recorded a few days ago where gloves were used instead of paddles to hone everything from scoops to mobility.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell also discussed his passion for America's fastest-growing sport in an interview with WGN-TV.

"It's something that as a staff we will go out and do on the road. We'll have some fun matches, and we found some fun places to play in some of the cities we go to. It's a popular sport right now. We've had some waiting times to get on some courts. You go in there and there's 18 courts, and there's people playing on every single court. It's a fun sport and it's great bonding for us the morning of some games," he explained. "I enjoy playing and it's fun, a little competitive. You don't feel like you're going to hurt yourself. I'm all for that."

The Cubs have been pickleball enthusiasts for a while now, with pitching coach Tommy Hottovy leading the charge.

This memorable bullpen clip was recorded in May 2021.