Chicago Sports

The Cubs placed outfielder Jason Heyward on the injured list Tuesday, making him the third Cub to go on the IL without an injury designation, which usually means a COVID-19 related stint.

Heyward joined starting pitcher Marcus Stroman and reliever David Robertson. But Stroman is nearing a return from the IL. He was cleared and threw a bullpen on Tuesday, according to Cubs manager David Ross. Stroman could slot in as soon as the next turn in the rotation.

“We’ll see how he presents tomorrow,” Ross said Tuesday afternoon.

Stroman and Robertson, who have been on the IL since early last week, played catch together while sidelined, Ross said. But the Cubs have not yet revealed a timeline for Robertson’s return.

Heyward hasn’t played since Sunday in Arizona and hasn’t been in the starting lineup since last Friday.

“I think he feels okay,” Ross said. “And hopefully he’ll be back really soon.”

Ross had said Monday that Heyward was dealing with body aches and dehydration.

“And turned out,” Ross said the next day, “it was something different.”

In a corresponding move, the Cubs selected left-hander Brandon Hughes from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday. They also recalled utility player Christopher Morel from Double-A Tennessee and optioned lefty Conner Menez to Triple-A.

“It’s a long season; a lot of different things happen along the way,” Cubs vice president of player development Jared Banner said. “And we always tell guys just to be prepared for that day when your number is called. These two guys have been doing a great job in the minor leagues, just trying to get better every single day, and today happens to be their opportunity. And we’re looking forward to seeing what they can do with it.”

Hughes, who the Cubs drafted as an outfielder out of Michigan State University in 2017, converted to pitcher three years ago.

“It actually, to me, gives you a sense of comfort when they do come up here,” Ross said of players with non-traditional paths through the minors, “that the first sense of struggles that they might have, that they’ve already come out of a lot of that in the minor leagues and overcome a lot. That they’re just going to continue to work and get better and continue to challenge themselves and they know how to compete. And those are all things I’ve heard about Brandon.”

Hughes gives the Cubs another left-handed option in the bullpen. And the Cubs are going to face lineups with plenty of left-handed hitters in the coming days, between the Pirates and the Diamondbacks.

Morel moved up to Triple-A last year, for 10 games. But he started this season in Double-A, hitting .306. He said he learned Monday night that he was heading to Chicago.

“He’s a really energetic, infectious player,” Banner said. “He can play all over the field. That makes him really valuable. He can run, he can hit for power, he just can do so many things on the field, that this is just going to be a great opportunity for him.”

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Two people were wounded in a shooting near an elementary school in Little Village Tuesday afternoon.

The shooting happened just after 3 p.m. in the 2300 block of South Western Avenue, down the street from Finkl Academy, Chicago police said.

A 17-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to the hand and went to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

The second victim, a man, went to the same hospital, according to police.

Officials have not released any information on his condition or any details about the shooting.

This is a developing story. Check back for details.

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Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson could use some help.

He was reliable in his first two seasons, but the rest of the secondary was the opposite. It got particularly bad last season, when the Bears allowed the fifth-most yards per pass, third-most touchdown passes and highest opponent passer rating — all while their pass rush ranked fourth in sacks.

Johnson was the only proven cornerback on the roster going into last season, and that problem flared up immediately in the opener against the Rams. It grew into a full-on blaze over the rest of the season with costly lapses against the Steelers, Ravens and Packers.

It’s no wonder new general manager Ryan Poles instantly identified that as a disaster and went to work on the rebuild by drafting Washington cornerback Kyler Gordon and Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker in the second round.

And it’s no wonder Johnson would like to see them get first-team snaps from the jump rather than gradually work their way up from the bottom of the depth chart.

“I’d throw ’em in the fire,” he said. “I mean, they’re our first two draft picks. We’ve got to know what they can do right now. And then we can know what the attitude and what the vibe is heading into camp.

“If I was the coach, I wouldn’t ease them into it. I would throw them out there.”

The Bears almost certainly will.

Poles is hoping Gordon and Brisker will be long-term answers, but he also needs them right away. Without major contributions from then, the Bears likely will have many of the same troubles that hurt them last season.

After Johnson, the next corners on the depth chart come with question marks. Duke Shelley is still trying to establish himself as a starting-caliber player, Kindle Vildor got benched last season and Thomas Graham spent most of his rookie year on the practice squad.

So the secondary’s chances still hinge largely on Johnson continuing his ascent at 23. He proved himself as a No. 1 cornerback last season, and the Bears are counting on that holding true.

Johnson has allowed just 58% completions whentargetedthe last two seasons. He was the only Bears cornerback to hold quarterbacks under 65% in 2021.

The only real disappointment has been that he has just one interception in 28 starts. He’s eager to change that as coach Matt Eberflus endeavors to shape the Bears into a fearsome crew of ballhawks.

Eberflus described Johnson as “still a work in progress” who needs to keep improving like any other young player and added, “just keep working, and we’ll see where he goes.”

Johnson didn’t seem to mind the challenge of proving himself to the new staff.

“It’s a complete reset,” he said. “Everything I’ve done in the past with the other coaches… it really doesn’t mean anything. The film is not going to lie to you, but… they want me to show them what I can do in person, moving forward.”

At this point, though, there’s no doubting his capability.

He spent his rookie season as an understudy to former all-pro Kyle Fuller, then grew into the Bears’ leader at the position last season. The next step is climbing into the NFL’s elite, and judging by the way he reacted gleefully to Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander’s record-breaking $84 million contract this week, Johnson sees himself reaching that level.

“I feel confident as ever,” he said. “There’s nothing I can’t do.”

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dylan Cease struck out nine batters over 5 2/3 scoreless innings, Jose Abreu drove in two runs with a double and AJ Pollock contributed a sacrifice fly as the White Sox defeated the Royals 3-0 in Game 1 of a split doubleheader Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium.

The result gave the Sox two wins in the first two games of a five-game series against the struggling Royals, who fell to 12-22. The Sox hiked their record to 18-17.

Right-hander Davis Martin will make his major league debut in Game 2, opposing Royals righty Brady Singer (6:10 p.m., NBC Sports Chicago).

Cease (4-1) lowered his ERA to 3.09 in his first start since giving up six runs in four innings while also striking out 11 Yankees on Thursday. He stranded two runners at third base and benefited from Hunter Dozier trying to score from first on a single in the fourth inning. Dozier advanced to third on Kyle Isbel’s single to left fielder AJ Pollock with two out in the fourth and was waved home as Pollock’s throw was getting to second baseman Josh Harrison, whose throw to catcher Reese McGuire ended the inning.

The Royals were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position and they struck out 14 times. They loaded the bases in the seventh against Joe Kelly but Kelly struck out pinch hitter Carlos Santana (Sal Perez was lifted with a sprained left thumb) and Ryan O’Hearn and Dozier on a soft pop-up to Harrrison.

Abreu, who entered with a .200 average, had two walks and a single in the Sox’ 5-3 win over the Royals Monday and two hits including a double, a lineout to right field and a walk Tuesday.

With his pitch count at 94 and a runner at second base with two outs in the sixth, Cease was relieved by Bennett Sousa after he struck out MJ Melendez. Cease’s body language suggested he didn’t want to exit when manager Tony La Russa came out of the dugout to make the change. Bennett Sousa struck out pinch hitter Michael Taylor to end the inning.

Jose Ruiz pitched a perfect eighth and Liam Hendriks worked the ninth for his 11th save.

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Lucas Patrick was Aaron Rodgers’ center last year and is Justin Fields’ snapper this season. And no, he doesn’t want to compare the Bears’ second-year quarterback to the Packers legend.

“It’s tough to compare those two guys,” he said after the Bears’ OTA practice Tuesday at Halas Hall. “You know, you’ve got, what, a 16- 17-year veteran and a second-year player. I mean, if I’m being honest, it’s like comparing an apple to an orange. It’s kind of a tough one, to pigeonhole those against each other.”

The same could be said of every quarterback the Bears have pitted against Rodgers; in 28 starts, the Packers quarterback has beaten his rival 23 times. Fields, though, has a skillset that’s jumped out to Patrick during the offseason program.

“Fast,” he said. “He can get moving pretty quick. He’s a fun guy. He’s young, so he likes to have the juice and the energy. He’s got a live arm. I mean, there were a few throws he made today where that ball — it’s like it keeps getting faster in the air.”

Three not there

Defensive linemen Robert Quinn, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Mario Edwards Jr. were veterans who did not participate in Tuesday’s OTA practice, which was voluntary. None of the three took part in the voluntary minicamp last month, either.

Quinn said last month that, as an 11-year veteran, he knew how to prepare his body for the rigors of the season on his own.

“I want ’em all here,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “But it’s voluntary. So they don’t have to be here. [Quinn] does know his body and he’s been a darn good player for a long time. I wish he was here.”

This and that

o Eberflus didn’t complain publicly about the Bears’ schedule, which features the latest bye week in the league: Week 14.

“That doesn’t matter,” he said. “It is what it is, and we got to play the schedule. But you look at it.”

Because of the late bye week, the Bears will build out their regular-season practice schedule to try to give appropriate rest, Eberflus said.

oThe Bears signed tackle Shon Coleman, a third-round pick by the Browns in 2016 who hasn’t started since 2017, and cut punter Ryan Winslow. That leaves seventh-round pick Trenton Gill as the Bears’ only punter.

o Eberflus said the Bears aren’t likely to hold joint practices with any of their three preseason opponents, though he had discussions with one of them.

o Eberflus turned 52 on Tuesday.

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Footballs flying into the secondary undefended was a major issue for the Chicago Bears in the 2021 season.

With the 2022 NFL Draft, new general manager Ryan Poles honed in on the defensive secondary. The Bears drafted cornerback Kyler Gordon with his first selection in the second round and safety Jaquan Brisker with his next.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus in his press conference Tuesday said Gordon had made a great impression with him and his staff during OTA’s this week.

“Kyler has been lighting it up the past two days, I’ll just tell you that,” he said. “The guys got tremendous ball skills. He’s been playing the defense the right way and we’re very impressed with him.”

Gordon still has more to learn with the defense, Eberflus said, but the Bears are excited with where the Washington Husky product is at currently. Eberflus emphasized his “ball-hawking skills.”

This is good news for the Bears defense, which is having a complete overhaul this season going from the 3-4 to 4-3. If the rookies can learn quickly, the Bears’ defense might be ahead of schedule in getting ready for their 2022 season.

Gordon excelled during his time in Washington, never allowing a single touchdown. The Bears’ struggles last season in the secondary were seen especially when defending the endzone.

The Bears gave up 31 passing touchdowns last season, tied with four teams for 26th in most passing touchdowns given up last season. The only two teams worse in that statistic last season were then defensive coordinator Eberflus’ Indianapolis Colts, 32, and The Washington Football Team, with 34 passing touchdowns given up.

Hopefully, Gordon can shore up the passing defense in the red zone this season.

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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When Bad Bunny made a weekend-long stop in March in Chicago for his ?ltimo Tour Del Mundo, Chicago native DJ Miriam achieved one of her dreams by opening for one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

Months later, one of Chicago’s most popular Latina DJs is a featured artist at Sue?os Music Festival, the first and largest reggaeton festival to ever take place in Grant Park.

Memorial Day weekend, downtown Chicago will be filled with music from reggaeton superstars Wisin y Yandel, Ozuna, Farruko, and J Balvin.

The presence of DJ Miriam (aka Miriam Paz) at Sue?os is one that she says she never imagined when she first started deejaying in 2019. She rose to popularity online throughout the COVID pandemic, doing shows on Instagram and Twitch and posting her mixes to SoundCloud.

“I’ve always been inclined to music. And being a DJ, and being able to do what I love, and sharing that with people, is just really fulfilling,” Paz, 30, told the Sun-Times.

Since she travels a lot for work, Paz said that it’s been “interesting” to meet people, sometimes from other states, who tuned in regularly to those streams.

“I’ve got fans –like, real-life fans!,” she said. Opening for Bad Bunny — especially on his 28th birthday — was “a dream come true.”

The Allstate Arena, which has capacity for nearly 19,000 people, is the largest crowd that Paz has ever played for. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bad Bunny’s shows were postponed, and in the interim, DJ Miriam’s star power continued to rise.

Paz grew up on the North Side in the Andersonville neighborhood. She says her taste in music is “definitely” influenced by both her Guatemalan roots and Chicago upbringing.

“When I was a teenager we would all sit in my room,” Paz said. “Or, I would just sit in my car or in front of my computer and be like, ‘Guys, did you hear this song yet? Or did you hear that song? Have you seen this music video?’

“I never realized that that’s just always kind of been within me,” she said.

With Sue?os Music Festival on the horizon, Paz is helping make history at the large-scale festival as an artist with a deep, personal connection to Chicago.

“We’ve tried to integrate the city in every single touchpoint,” said Aaron Ampudia, one of the co-founders of the festival.

“We’re stoked to have DJ Miriam open … and have that experience in her town where her friends can go watch her and see her on the big stage. And hopefully, it helps her in her career to keep on pushing and progressing and maybe playing other festivals.”

Prior to the pandemic, Paz was working with V5 Group for the past 10 years doing “a bit of everything.” She worked primarily as a venue manager, booking reggaeton events in popular Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville clubs like The Apartment, Casey Moran’s and Moe’s Cantina.

“Creating a vibe, creating a night, was really cool,” Paz said of her venue-managing days. She still works with V5, based in Lyons, just on a smaller scale, as she focuses more on her deejaying gigs.

In addition to mixing tracks, Paz is now traveling the country hosting V5’s “Sorry Papi” parties, which are women-exclusive events, meant to celebrate feminine power, safety and unity.

“You want to go out, you [want to] get dolled up, and when you go to an event, women are subjected to being groped and disrespected … and it’s not OK,” Paz said. She hopes to create an environment and vibe that is positive and empowering through these women-only parties.

Sue?os, according to its organizers, hopes to attract people from all backgrounds and tastes in music to celebrate a global community that is rooted in Latin music.

“We’re bringing this color, this life, this music, to downtown Chicago,” Ampudia added about the festival, which has already sold out all of its general admission tickets. “And we’re super excited about it.”

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Former Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen, now a free agent, apparently suffered an injury during a training session being livestreamed on his Instagram account.

The hard-luck player, released in March by the Bears because of past injuries, grabbed the back of his leg after going down during the workout on Tuesday. The incident was seen on Instagram Live, with Cohen falling to the floor after backpedaling.

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Cohen played three full seasons with Chicago but made it to only three games in 2021 before tearing knee ligaments. He missed the rest of that season and then was released by the Bears.

A fourth-round draft pick in 2017, Cohen had a strong rookie year as a running back and kick returner. He made All-Pro as a punt returner in 2018, when he led the NFL with 33 run-backs for 411 yards.

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NEW YORK — Fire midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri is Major League Soccer’s highest-paid player, jumping past Los Angeles FC attacker Carlos Vela.

The 30-year-old Swiss international, who joined Chicago this season from Lyon, has a base salary of $7.35 million and total compensation of $8,153,000, according to figures released Tuesday by the Major League Soccer Players Association.

He is expected to be passed by Italian winger Lorenzo Insigne, who joins Toronto this summer from Napoli.

LA Galaxy forward Javier Hernandez began the season in second at $6 million and Inter Miami striker Gonzalo Higua?n third with a $5.1 million base and $5,793,750 in total compensation.

Toronto midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo is fourth ($3.8 million, $4,693,000), followed by New England forward Jozy Altidore ($3,706,139; $4,264,963), Atlanta forward Josef Mart?nez ($3.75 million, $4,141,667), Vela ($2.25 million, $4.05 million), Atlanta midfielder/forward Luiz Ara?jo ($3.6 million, $3,941,667), Columbus midfielder Lucas Zelaray?n ($3.1 million, $3.7 million) and New England midfielder Carles Gil ($3,25 million, $3,545,833).

Atlanta has the highest payroll, with guaranteed compensation of $20,999,272, followed by the Galaxy at $20,128,040, Miami at $18,882,628 and New England at $18,141,886.

Salt Lake is last at $10,477,859.

The union said the average for senior roster players, not including designated players who count only partly under a team’s salary cap, increased by 10.3% to $438,728 from $397,753 in 2021.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The White Sox starting rotation for the rest of their series with the Royals was clarified Tuesday. Right-hander Davis Martin was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to make his major league debut in the second game of a split double-header Tuesday, and Lucas Giolito will come off the COVID-19 Related injured list to start Wednesday.

“I’m glad to be feeling 100 percent and back now,” said Giolito, who rejoined the team at Kauffman Stadium Tuesday morning.

It marked a second bout with the coronavirus for Giolito, who also had it during the winter. He felt symptoms last Wednesday after arriving at Guaranteed Rate Field the morning after making his most recent start against the Guardians.

“I had like body aches and stuff in the mornings and at night. It was just like two days of pretty bad,” he said.

Giolito is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA over five starts.

Martin, 25, was not on the Sox’ radar of top prospects during spring training, but was 4-1 with a 2.50 ERA over 36 innings in seven starts between Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham in 2022. He was 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA and eight strikeouts in 12 innings covering two outings with Charlotte.

“I’ve just been hearing about him lately. He’s advanced,” said manager Tony La Russa, who didn’t see Martin in spring training. “And then I watched him on video, nice delivery, makes pitches. Met him, looked him right in the eye, he said ‘excited.’ I said, ‘Good, we are too.’ Should be fun.”

The Sox drafted Martin in the 14th round of the 2018 draft out of Texas Tech.

Vince Velasquez will pitch the finale of the five-game series Thursday.

Kopech on paternity list

Michael Kopech went on the paternity list but is not expected to miss his scheduled start Saturday against the Yankees in New York. Dallas Keuchel is slated to start the series opener Friday, and Dylan Cease or Johnny Cueto will start Sunday, La Russa said.

This and that

La Russa planned to rest Tim Anderson and Luis Robert in Game 2. Leury Garcia, who played second base in Game 1, will play shortstop in Game 2. AJ Pollock and Josh Harrison, who did not play Monday night in the series opener, are expected to both both games, and Jose Abreu is set to DH in Game 2.

Yoan Moncada didn’t play Game 1 but will start Game 2. La Russa said he is trying to keep Moncada’s legs fresh for the long haul.

“I think we have two good lineups,” La Russa said. “We have a shot to win both if we pitch good.”

Right-hander Kyle Crick was added from Charlotte as the 27th player for the doubleheader.Lance Lynn is slated to pitch to hitters in New York Friday. Lynn is nearing a minor league rehab assignment, with a targeted return to the team is early June.Read More