Cubs activate Heyward; Happ stays up

May 21st, 2017

CHICAGO -- didn't have the wrong idea, he was just off by a day.
After declaring he'd be returning Saturday and the subsequent rainout of Saturday's game, Heyward was activated from the 10-day disabled list and inserted back into the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Brewers. The club also recalled right-hander from Triple-A Iowa, optioning and right-hander to Triple-A.
"It feels good," Heyward said of his injured right index finger Friday. "It [stinks] missing time, but fortunately it's May and we had a chance to do that."
Before the injury, Heyward was batting .253 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 28 games. The Cubs went 4-7 in his absence despite some solid production from players like , who remains with the team.
Asked about Heyward on Saturday, Happ said he was excited to get to learn from the outfielder. He mentioned the intricacies of Wrigley Field as things he hoped to pick up from Heyward, who will make his first start since May 5 on Sunday.
"Picking his brain definitely during [batting practice]," Happ said. "Any information I can get from them is helpful."

Heyward, on the other hand, said he has been pleased with the success of several of the young guys who have been called up. Asked about Happ on Friday, he said a big part of his success is a system in which players can see their teammates making the same strides at the highest level that they themselves seek.
"It's awesome to see organizations do that," Heyward said. "It's good that they can see someone else and relate to them and have that immediate feedback to a guy they came up with."
In addition to the return of Heyward, Floro is now in his second stint with the Cubs. He pitched in 12 games with the Rays last year, allowing seven earned runs in 15 innings of work. He also made one appearance with the Cubs earlier this season, limiting the Rockies to one run in 4 1/3 innings on May 9.
As for the two players who were optioned, La Stella has hit well this season when given the opportunity. In limited at-bats across 16 games, he's hitting .304 and has drawn eight walks, with just two strikeouts. His .484 on-base percentage ranks first on the team of all position players.
Johnson, on the other hand, made his debut in the series opener against Milwaukee. The right-hander allowed two hits and two runs (none earned) in an inning of work, striking out two and walking one in the 6-3 loss. This season at Iowa, he has made 12 relief outings and holds a 3.21 ERA.