Notes: Heyward battling; Wisdom no fluke

NEW YORK -- Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward is off to one of the worst starts of his career. Entering Wednesday’s action, Heyward had a slash line of .166/.250/.298.

If the Cubs want to remain in first place in the National League Central, they will need more production from Heyward.

Asked how he was feeling at the plate, Heyward said, “When you hit stresses like this, obviously, it’s not easy because you want to show up, compete and help the team win. I will definitely say missing time with a hamstring injury didn’t help, but that’s a part of the game. One day at a time. Keep trying to make adjustments, trying to get back to doing what I can.”

Cubs manager David Ross believes Heyward needs to get his timing down. In fact, the skipper has seen glimpses of Heyward being in rhythm and seeing the ball well. Once Heyward starts hitting, Ross believes the Cubs will be a much better team.

“He’s had a couple of spurts where he has hit for some power. I think it’s just a timing thing for him,” Ross said. “He just came off [the injured list] maybe a week or so ago. So he is still getting back into the flow. We played a couple of games, given him a day off. We're just trying to get him back into his rhythm. When he is in his rhythm, he is one of our better at-bats.”

Wisdom not a fluke
Infielder Patrick Wisdom has been with the Cubs for almost a month and he continues to be one of the team’s hottest batters, hitting .333 with nine home runs and 13 RBIs entering Wednesday.

Ross believes what Wisdom is doing on the field is not a fluke. In fact, the skipper believes Wisdom has staying power to be successful in the big leagues. It helps that Ross hasn’t seen Wisdom get dominated at the plate.

“He has a lot of 3-2 counts. Guys have made pitches in those 3-2 counts at times. Patrick has taken some walks,” Ross said. “He has played good defense. That has been a nice addition when you have somebody that you can put out there and trust. And I feel he has given some good pinch-hit at-bats -- that staying power of coming off the bench and staying fresh.”

Ross on Deadline
Entering Wednesday’s action, the Cubs were tied with the Brewers for first place in the NL Central. Ross believes improvements could be made for the Cubs before the Trade Deadline on July 30.

Ross would like to see the team acquire depth for the pitching staff. Maybe adding a catcher would also help the club. Depth is a factor behind the plate. If catcher Willson Contreras went down with an injury, it would be a huge blow to the club. Chicago already has two catchers -- Austin Romine and P.J. Higgins -- on the injured list.