Heyward makes his return to Wrigley Field as a visitor
CHICAGO ❯❯ Even after the Chicago Cubs released him with one year remaining on his eight-year, $184 million contract, putting his baseball future very much in doubt, Jason Heyward knew he would see Wrigley Field again.
“Well, I'm a resident so I knew at some point, God willing, I would see Wrigley again,” Heyward said, sitting in the visitor's dugout there on Thursday afternoon. “That might have been walking the dogs out here in the outfield. But, no, it's really cool to be able to do that as an outfielder for the Dodgers.
“Just going to enjoy it, every bit of it. You never know when it'll be your last time.”
The end of his time as a Cub didn't cut Heyward's ties to Chicago. He maintains his home here and opened the Jason Heyward Baseball Academy on the west side of Chicago earlier this year. He plans to visit the facility for underserved youth today.
And, of course, Heyward's ties to Chicago will always be strong as a member of the Cubs' only World Series championship team in the past 114 years. That team was broken up soon after the 2016 title and Heyward was asked if it was strange to see so many of his World Series teammates scattered to the baseball winds.
“No, it doesn't seem strange,” Heyward said. “My first three years in the big leagues (with the
Atlanta Braves) we had pretty good teams Infielder Chris Taylor and they went through a full workout kind of dismantled before Thursday's game and is close to returning that pretty to the Dodgers' quickly. It's lineup. Taylor suffered an a part of the injury to his side Sunday game, the fact that there and appeared as a pinchrunner is a business side of things in Wednesday's and time does happen. game against the Mets.
“We made some history Catcher Will Smith is here together. A lot of special not expected to play during things. I don't think the Dodgers' fourgame it's weird. It's just a part of series in Chicago. the game. We had a lot of Smith is on the concussion really good players. Can't injured list and has have them all, can't keep not played since April 12 them all.” in San Francisco.
Heyward was not a really “Each passing day gets good player by the a little bit better,” Roberts time the Cubs cut him said. “With the off day loose. But he has gone coming on Monday, the through a swing overhaul hope is that we get him, with the Dodgers and will potentially, in that next start Saturday and Sunday, series (against the Pittsburgh Dodgers manager Pirates).” Dave Roberts said.
“Extra incentive? No. There's no extra incentive,” Heyward said of returning to face the Cubs. “I want to do well every single time. And at times, you have to be able to tame that and compete.”
Daddy duty
Mookie Betts rejoined the Dodgers in Chicago and was activated from the paternity list.
But reliever Evan Phillips left the team to be with his wife for the birth of their child.
In addition to placing Phillips on the paternity list on Thursday, the Dodgers optioned infielder Yonny Hernandez back to Triple-A Oklahoma City and recalled right-hander
Andre Jackson.
Health cares Catman rehab
Right-hander Tony Gonsolin made his first rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday afternoon in Albuquerque.
Gonsolin faced 12 hitters, pitching into the fourth inning where he walked one batter before leaving the game having thrown 57 pitches. He retired nine of the 12 and struck out seven. He gave up one hit — a tworun home run to Colorado Rockies prospect Daniel Montano — and walked two.
“It was good. I think he was 89 to 92 (mph) velocity,” Roberts said.
Gonsolin is expected to make at least one more rehab start with OKC.