Chicago Cubs' Heyward getting all-star votes
Jason Heyward's resurgence at the plate has gained the notice of All-Star Game voters.
Heyward is third among National League outfielders in voting for next month's All-Star Game at Miami. He trails Washington's Bryce Harper and Colorado's Charlie Blackmon, but he leads fourth-place Cubs teammate Ben Zobrist for the third starting spot.
Heyward was asked Monday what it means to have a starting spot at this still-early stage in the voting.
"I'm doing something to help the team win, and that's what I want to try to do every night, find something you can do, try to find a way to be part of the game," he said. "There's a lot of different things I can do to help win. If you're trying to focus on that stuff, everything else will take care of itself."
Heyward, who struggled at the plate last season before rebuilding his swing in the off-season, entered Monday night's game against the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field with a line of .258/.319/.404 with 5 homers and 23 RBI.
"The turnaround's been offensive," manager Joe Maddon said. "He's still the same player on the field. He's playing the magnificent defense like he did last year. He's running the bases like he did last year. He's been the great teammate like he was last year. Obviously the difference is the offensive side of the baseball, which is really crucial to awards in our game.
"Give him credit for what he did last off-season. Everybody's looking at it now. Success pretty much revolves around those moments where nobody else sees you, when you're doing this work that's not glamorous, it's not glorious.
"You're not given credit for it. All of a sudden, hey, this guy's in the all-star voting because of something he did in November and December."
Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is first in the voting for that position. Catcher Willson Contreras is second behind the Giants' Buster Posey. First baseman Anthony Rizzo trails Washington's Ryan Zimmerman, and Javier Baez is second among second basemen, behind Washington's Daniel Murphy. Family time for Davis:
The Cubs placed closer Wade Davis on the paternity list Monday and recalled right-hander Dylan Floro from Class AAA Iowa. A player may be on the paternity list a minimum of one day or a maximum of three.
Davis is 2-0 with 12 saves and an 0.89 ERA. Floro returned for his third stint with the Cubs this season.
Left-handed pitcher Brett Anderson was scheduled to throw a three-inning simulated game Monday in Arizona. Anderson has been on the disabled list since May 7 with a low-back strain.
Be still, my heart:
Reliever Carl Edwards Jr. showed lightning-quick reflexes Sunday night in snagging a line drive off the bat of the Cardinals' Tommy Pham in the eighth inning. Edwards reached up and caught the ball. Anthony Rizzo came over from first base to settle Edwards down.
"He came up and said, 'Hey, man, I just came up here to give you a breather because I know your heart is probably in your stomach right now, give you time to catch your breath,' " Edwards said Monday. "I replied to him, 'Yeah, man, I think my heart just went to my shoes,' because I was ready to run off the mound.
"It was all reaction, but I played it off like I knew what I was doing."