Cubs OF Heyward rehabs with SB Cubs, goes 1-3
There was a buzz about the ballpark Thursday night at Four Winds Field and it wasn't because it was $2 beer night.
No, Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward made a rehab assignment in South Bend as he continues to recover from a knuckle injury that's kept him out of the Cubs lineup the last couple of weeks.
Even before he took a swing, the crowd was showing him the love.
"I try to lock in and not here that stuff, but you know it's hard not to pay any attention, I don't want to tip my hat or anything, I'm just trying to play and help the team win whoever's team I'm playing on but it's good to have people announce that it's a good thing," Heyward said.
Overall, Heyward went 1-3 with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, but more importantly, he said being in South Bend Thursday was a stroll down memory lane.
"To understand, this is where you started, this is what you work towards, I played at every level along the way, you know for me coming back to low-A, you know it ws kind of cool to see guys who were on their way," Heyward said. "You never forget that stuff, you know the stuff we talk about with the clubbies and the staff here and just everybody around, you know everybody doesn't have to show up here to work everyday because it's not living the dream you talk about at the big league level."
"You always remember the bus rides; even talked to the first baseman, he was telling me he was a braves fan growing up. Stuff like that, it's cool to reconnect with people and you never know who you're going to meet."
Heyward admits the experience was in South Bend was great, even if it was just for one day."
"When you sign a contract you never hope you're going to go on the DL and go down but it was a really cool experience; they said this stadium is 30 years old but it didn't look it to me," Heyward said.
Heyward is expected to join the Chicago Cubs tomorrow and come off the DL.