Palatine Legion helps Maddon make point for Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon once again is observing "American Legion Week" at Wrigley Field.

That means players arrive at the ballpark much later in the day, just as they did when they played American Legion ball.

To honor the American Legion, Maddon unfurled the banner of Post 690 in Palatine.

"It's twofold, threefold for me," Maddon said. "First of all to the actual American Legion post and the veterans and how they've served, I think that they actually enjoy seeing their flag up here tonight, and we can draw more attention to that.

"And then it goes into the American Legion baseball that we played. American Legion baseball in the summertime. You would work all day. I was either a fence installer or sometimes at the playground. And then you'd show up about 5 o'clock for a 5:30 game. You shake hands and you'd play, and you were fine.

"You'd hit the ball. You'd catch the ball. You'd throw the ball well. You did not have to be there from 2 o'clock or 1 o'clock in the afternoon to perform the game properly."

The third part is getting rest for the players in the dog days of summer.

"I want them to come out here after a long West Coast road trip, come on out here and just show up a little bit later, a little bit more rested mentally and go out and just play the game of baseball like it was intended to be played," Maddon said.

"Data, extra work, all that kind of stuff, it's the middle of August. We've had since the beginning of February to get all that stuff in the barn. So I just want us to play."

Palatine Post 690 has more than 300 members. It hosts Thanksgiving dinner for Navy recruits from Great Lakes and supports veterans at Hines Hospital and other veterans causes.

No rush on Russell:

Shortstop Addison Russell has been taking some fielding practice and working in the batting cage as he continues to recover from a foot injury. Russell has been on the disabled list since Aug. 3.

"He's coming along slowly," said general manager Jed Hoyer. "No real updates. As cliché as it is, we just want to take it day by day and see how he feels."

Hoyer described the injury as muscular along with some plantar fasciitis. The Cubs will not rush Russell back into action.

Javier Baez, who had played more second base when Russell was in the lineup, has taken over shortstop duties. Baez was drafted as a shortstop.

He made a quick tag in Monday night's third inning to get the Cincinnati Reds' Adam Duvall trying to steal second base. He then went deep into the hole to throw out Scooter Gennett on a grounder.

"I'm ready to play every day," Baez said.

A pain in the neck:

Ben Zobrist was a late lineup scratch with a stiff neck. Tommy La Stella subbed for Zobrist at second base.