Chicago Cubs' Contreras to get bulk of playing time

CLEVELAND - Willson Contreras was behind the plate Wednesday night for the Chicago Cubs as he caught Jake Arrieta in Game 2 of the World Series.

It looks like Contreras will start all of the World Series games not started by Jon Lester, who has David Ross as his personal catcher.

The idea is to slow down the running game of the Cleveland Indians, and the Cubs feel Contreras gives them their best shot to do that over veteran Miguel Montero, who had been the preferred receiver of Arrieta.

"To start, probably I would say not right now," manager Joe Maddon said of Montero. "With these guys (Indians), it's such a priority stopping the running game. Game in progress, you might see him out there, different circumstances. But to start the game, you'll probably see a lot of Willson right now."

Contreras, a rookie, came up in June. His offense has been ahead of his defense, but Maddon said he is improving. The Cubs also gave Contreras as much rest as they could later in the season.

"Like we've said all year, we've been trying to not play him too much, that he'd be ready to roll right now," Maddon said. "It's showing up that he is. He's not fatigued right now. He's playing much longer into the season than he's ever played. And I think he's playing as well as he's played all year right now.

"Yeah, he's definitely the kind of a guy that can handle a heavy workload behind the plate. I don't know exactly what that means right now, but I do know that will be more (playing time) next year than it is this year."

Heyward sits again:

Right fielder Jason Heyward sat at the start of a second straight World Series game. In Game 1, Chris Coghlan started in right field over Heyward. In Game 2, it was Jorge Soler.

Heyward, who signed, an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs last winter, has endured a poor postseason at the plate after struggling for most of the regular season.

Joe Maddon said he talked with Heyward about the situation.

"Yes, I covered everything," the manager said. "He wants to be playing. There's no doubt he does, and I don't blame him whatsoever. But we had a good exchange of thoughts. He didn't leave angry. It was just a very open conversation.

"He's a very good baseball player, and he's a big part of our future. But for right now, in a small moment like this, based on what's going on, if we didn't have other options we probably would not do it.

"But we have other options and other guys who have done well, too."

Not cramping his style:

Major League Baseball mandates a tight pregame schedule for teams in the postseason. Included are media availability for the managers and select players.

Teams take batting practice every day, weather permitting (it did not permit batting practice Wednesday).

Under Joe Maddon, on-field batting practice for the Cubs happens less and less as the regular season wears on. Most Cubs players take batting practice in the postseason, but Maddon said it remains optional and that he likes the MLB routine.

"I kind of like the structure in a sense that right now that I think the players do, too," he said. "I think it limits some of their exposure to everything, too. For me, if I have to do what I do, that's fine as long as they don't. They can just focus on the game itself. I'm OK with the structure right now.

"I know we have obligations as far as talking, but they really need to focus on themselves and getting ready for the game. I think the structure permits all that."