No timetable for Heyward's return (concussion)
Darvish to come off DL on Tuesday to start vs. Braves
CHICAGO -- Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward is eligible to be activated from the seven-day concussion disabled list on Monday, but manager Joe Maddon said there is no timetable for his return.
Heyward has been sidelined since last Sunday's game in St. Louis, when he tried to catch William Fowler's home run in the 14th inning. Heyward appeared to hit his head on the wall during the play.
"We're still working through the whole thing and I'm still waiting to hear back from the doctors," Maddon said on Sunday. "There's nothing new to report."
Heyward, whose family lives in the Atlanta area, will accompany the team on the next road trip there.
Darvish to return Tuesday
Yu Darvish, who has been sidelined with flu-like symptoms, will be activated from the DL and start on Tuesday against the Braves.
"I saw him walking around [Saturday] and talked to him briefly and his kid," Maddon said. "He's doing well."
Darvish was originally expected to start on Monday in the Cubs' makeup game against the Braves, but Jose Quintana will get the nod instead. Darvish (0-3, 6.00 ERA) is still looking for his first win with the Cubs. He's 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three outings at Wrigley Field. The Cubs aren't trying to avoid having Darvish pitch at home.
"We took advantage of the schedule," Maddon said. "I know that's going to be easy to look at and say we did that. We wanted to gather as much time as we can coming off being ill."
Maddon isn't concerned by Darvish's outings so far. The right-hander has been unable to get through the fifth inning in four of his six starts so far.
"The guy's been really good for so many years and has an outstanding arm," Maddon said. "I think sometimes he gets a little bit speeded up in what he's doing. He and I have talked about that. There's too much success there for me to worry about that. I think he needs to slow things down, not unlike some other guys I've worked with who have pitched for a bit and played for a bit."
The Cubs did suggest Darvish adjust his delivery and eliminate the double leg kick that he used all spring as well as in his first three starts.
"It probably is [an adjustment], but I still think it makes him cleaner," Maddon said. "I think he has a better chance of being a strike thrower with his fastball by doing that. Also, I think there's the fatigue factor -- thinking about poom, poom, lifting your leg twice as you go to pitch. I don't know how [Juan] Marichal did it for so many years. It has to be more difficult physically to do it that way."
Worth noting
The Cubs and Braves will play a makeup game on Monday at Wrigley Field and wear their No. 42 jerseys honoring Jackie Robinson. The game had originally been scheduled for April 15, which was the day Major League Baseball saluted Robinson.