One of the unfortunate elements to the collision that sent Ian Happ to the injured list earlier this month was the timing. After a tough April, during which Happ joked the baseball gods had to help him out eventually, the Cubs' starting center fielder looked like he was finding his rhythm again.

On Sunday afternoon, Happ looked to more than have his feet back under him during a 5-1 victory over the Tigers. In his second game back from the IL, Happ collected three hits, including a homer, to back a stellar start by Kyle Hendricks. The veteran starter worked into the ninth for the Cubs, ending with eight strikeouts and a career-high 30 called strikes, per Statcast.

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“It was unfortunate. He got those few hits in Cincy and then had that collision,” Hendricks said. “So he's been turning it around before today. But to finally just see the hits fall in, you just need to see the results sometimes. I'm sure that was a huge confidence boost for him.”

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Hendricks, who gave the Cubs eight-plus innings with eight strikeouts, was referring to Chicago's wild 13-12 loss in Cincinnati on May 2. In that game, Happ also had a single, a double and a homer -- the blast being a game-tying three-run shot in the top of the eighth.

A half-inning later, Happ and second baseman Nico Hoerner collided while chasing down a fly ball in shallow center field. Hoerner went on the IL with a left forearm injury on May 4 and Happ followed him to the shelf on May 7 with bruised ribs.

Happ’s challenge -- beyond just allowing his body time to heal -- was to find a way to pick up where he left off with that strong day at the plate two weeks ago.

“It's just consistency in the work,” Happ said. “We talk a lot about the fact that there was not a lot of luck in the first month or the first 80 at-bats, and being able to continue being diligent with the work and making sure that the process of that is in the right place.”

On the season, Happ is batting .183/.309/.301 through 28 games, and he has been dropped from the leadoff spot by manager David Ross. Last year, Happ’s strong start earned him the everyday role atop the order and in center field, and he ended the campaign batting .258 with 12 homers and an .866 OPS in 57 games.

“Happer, getting him back going is a big part for us,” Ross said. “I think when he's right, that makes our lineup really, really deep.”

Happ was activated on Saturday and he registered an 0-for-5 showing in the Cubs’ 9-8, 10-inning loss at Comerica Park. Once again, the outfielder focused on the process more than the results. Within that hitless performance, Happ had a trio of hard-hit balls (exit velocities of 111.9 mph, 97.4 mph and 95.6 mph, per Statcast). In the 10th, he sent a deep line drive to the warning track in right field for an out.

“The hits are great and they'll continue to come, but it's being OK with the process,” Happ said Sunday. “I didn't feel bad after the game yesterday. And then I feel great today, so it's just trying to stay as even as possible.”

Happ's Sunday began with a single in the third inning, and he later scored from second base on a grounder off the bat of Kris Bryant. Happ never stopped running, giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead after Bryant's own hustle up the first-base line avoided a would-be double play. First baseman Jonathan Schoop threw to the plate, but it was off the mark and not in time.

“KB's really quick down the line,” Happ said. “I think a lot of people underestimate how fast he is down the line. And that's one of those ones where if you just keep running and don't hesitate at all, you've got a good chance to force what is a really tough play for the first baseman there. There's probably only a couple guys in the league who really turn it around quick.”

With two outs and two runners aboard in the fourth inning, Happ sent a Mathew Boyd pitch looping into shallow center. With no Detroit defender covering second, Happ managed an RBI double on the play.

Happ then capped off a three-run Cubs outburst in the sixth with an opposite-field solo shot off Boyd. That blast -- off an elevated four-seamer on the outer edge of the zone -- marked Happ's first homer batting right-handed since Aug. 17, 2020. Entering the day, the outfielder had been 2-for-19 with no extra-base hits against lefties this year.

“The homer to right, that was impressive,” Ross said. “The ball just never came down -- great swing. It seemed like he was seeing it really well today.”

Like Happ said last month, the baseball gods had to smile on him eventually.

“Some of those balls finally getting down and having some success,” Happ said, “I think that's the name of the game. You have to get hits at some point.”