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Chapman calm and cool after debut with Cubs

Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he was impressed with the way newly acquired closer Aroldis Chapman handled the excitement of his first appearance with the team in Wednesday night's 8-1 victory over the White Sox.

Chapman pitched the ninth inning in a non-save situation. He faced three batters, striking out two.

"He looks like he's got tremendous focus," Maddon said. "That's all I was looking at last night, honestly. I was concerned about bringing him into an 8-1 game where there was not that normal adrenaline of a close situation.

"But I thought coming into a game like last night, first time as a Cub, full house, trying to make a good first impression, I thought that would definitely raise the level of his adrenaline pumping right there. I was just watching him and how quick he was in his actions and his movements. First-pitch strike down, 101 miles an hour. So that told me he was breathing."

Taking it in stride:

Outfielder Jason Heyward did not start Thursday night's finale against tough White Sox lefty Chris Sale.

Heyward entered the night batting .229. He has been doing extra work with hitting coach John Mallee.

"We switched it up and did some new stuff for maybe two-and-a-half weeks now, and it's been feeling a lot better in BP (batting practice)," Heyward said. "But you've got to take it into the game, and it's going to take some time for that happen. Keep on working every day and hope it shows up."

Heyward had a line of .293/.359/.439 with 13 homers and 60 RBI last year with St. Louis.

"It's baseball," he said. "You don't look at is as a surprise that something happened or a surprise it would go a certain way. You just work hard. When things happen, take it in stride and do your best to see the best thing and see the positives in and try not to dwell on it."

Tough decisions coming:

The Cubs will have roster decisions to make soon when outfielders Jorge Soler and Chris Coghlan finish their minor-league rehab assignments at Class AA Tennessee and come off the disabled list.

Soler has been on the DL since June 7 with a left-hamstring strain. Coghlan has been on the DL since July 3 with a strained right rib cage. The Cubs would like to see Soler get his timing back at the plate a little better.

Maddon said the roster moves will be tough.

"They're very difficult," he said. "Honestly, it's taken a lot of conversation among all of us, going back and forth on a lot of different thoughts and ideas. We'll wait and see how it plays out, but we haven't decided yet."

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