Jason Heyward Injury: Updates on Cubs Star's Ribs and Return

Joseph ZuckerMay 20, 2016

Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward suffered an injury to his right torso and abdominal region against the San Francisco Giants on May 20. Heyward spread out to make a diving catch, landed hard on his shoulder and then made contact with the wall, staying down and rolling in pain while clutching his side.

However, he has been cleared to return to the lineup.

Continue for updates.

Maddon Comments on Heyward's Playing Status

Tuesday, May 24

Joe Maddon said Heyward will return against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago.

Heyward Comments on Injury

Monday, May 23

Heyward admitted to "dull soreness" on his side, but remained optimistic, per Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. "I love how I'm feeling. I have complete confidence to test it."

"Uncomfortable, in pain, but relieved nothing is broken," Heyward said on Saturday, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago. "MRI [on Saturday] to see what else is going on in there."

"My lower rib bone and hip bone hit each other," Heyward said. "Got pushed up against the wall, and that was it."

Maddon Comments on Heyward's Catch

Saturday, May 21

"That might have been the game right there," Maddon said, per Rogers. "As crazy as it might sound, if that falls, that's probably an inside-the-park home run, and all of a sudden they have a different vibe about them."

Heyward Important to Cubs' Long-Term Success

The Cubs pulled off one of the biggest coups of the offseason when they signed Heyward away from their biggest rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. Chicago signed him to a team-record, eight-year, $184 million deal.

Adding the 26-year-old wasn't the proverbial final piece of the puzzle, but to a certain extent, the move firmly cemented the Cubs' transition from a relatively young, rebuilding team to one that aspires to end its historic World Series drought, which dates back to 1908.

Given his overall consistency since he entered MLB with the Atlanta Braves in 2010, signing Heyward, even for $180 million-plus, looked like a good deal for the Cubs. However, Heyward has struggled offensively at the start of this season. He's hitting .225 with one home run, 14 runs batted in and a .282 slugging percentage.

Chicago is deep enough across the board that it could get lackluster production from its biggest investment and still be a title favorite. Losing Heyward altogether would have been a different issue, though, especially with Kyle Schwarber out for the rest of the year.