PHOENIX – Entering the second of three games against the Diamondbacks this weekend, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras led his team in most hitting categories. 

“This is as good as I may have ever seen Willson,” Cubs manager David Ross said this weekend. “The last series [against the Padres] I thought he carried us offensively, he was the tone setter whenever we were going through a little bit of a lull. It seemed like his spot jump-started things when he got back up there.”

Contreras’ future with the Cubs is uncertain as he plays out his final year of club control with no apparent movement on extension talks. He has the added distraction of an arbitration hearing scheduled for June 9, a quirk of this post-lockout season. 

“He’s been great,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said of the way Contreras has handled the situation. “I think everyone kind of deals with that differently. … But he’s been playing great and getting on base. His offensive game is as strong as I’ve seen him.”

The past two weeks, it’s been as strong as anyone’s. Contreras entered Saturday batting .433 since April 30, the highest batting average in MLB in that span. And at least to start the season, Contreras’ strikeout rate has dramatically improved, from 28.6 percent last season to 17.7 percent to start this year. 

“It’s a really long season to pay attention to stats because when you have few at-bats, they can go way up, they can go way down,” Contreras said. “But I have noticed that I’ve been making more contact than years before, and that’s something that I worked on during my offseason.”

Specifically, he concentrated on being short to the ball. 

Again, numbers can shift dramatically over the course of a season, but in 113 plate appearances, Contreras was making contact on 81.2 percent of pitches in the strike zone entering Saturday, up from 76.9 percent last season, according to Statcast. 

Plus, he’s hitting the ball hard. Contreras was on pace for his highest average exit velocity (93.9 mph) since Statcast began tracking in 2015. 

“Everybody’s throwing 97, 99 [mph],” he said. “And we’ve been facing really tough pitching, and with that type of pitching my mindset is just to make contact, whatever happens after that is going to happen.”

Contreras reiterated several times this spring that his focus was on competing every day, not on his contract or trade speculation. 

Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo said something similar last year, but when asked about putting contact uncertainty behind him, he told reporters in Chicago this week, “I didn’t realize how much of a burden it was.”

Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant, who went through the same process with the Cubs last year, told the Sun-Times in Spring Training that he didn’t think Contreras needed any advice.

‘He’s going to go out there and play with heart and passion, and I’m sure he won’t even think about it the whole year,” Bryant said. “That’s just who Willson is. That’s why he’s fun to play with.’’

From what Ross has observed, that’s exactly what Contreras has done.

“I think he knows he’s going to be a really good major-league player for a really long time, he’s gonna make a lot of money,” Ross said. “And he’s just focused on helping support his teammates and having a really good season and have fun playing baseball. And I’ve seen that pretty much every day.”

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PHOENIX – The Cubs’ probable pitching list has been littered with TBDs the past week, but on Saturday, the Cubs filled in the latest. 

Cubs lefty Justin Steele is scheduled to start in the Cubs’ series finale against the Diamondbacks on Sunday. Steele last pitched a week ago, leaving the game after the fourth inning with left thumb soreness. 

“We try not to wait too long to get these guys in but also [wanted to] make sure his thumb felt good,” Cubs manager David Ross said Saturday. 

Too many days between starts means a risk of “rust,” as Ross puts it. He pointed to Drew Smyly’s start last week against the Dodgers, which was pushed back when he went on the bereavement list. 

Smyly allowed three runs, two earned, in 4 ⅓ innings against the Dodgers. Then on Friday at Arizona, with five days between starts, he threw six innings for the first time this season. 

Steele started feeling the thumb soreness throwing his slider in the fourth inning of his start last week against the Dodgers. He said he threw that pitch in his bullpen Friday, and it didn’t give him any issues. 

“He did a really nice job his last start against a really good team until that thumb stuff popped up,” Ross said. “So, continue to build off that, pound the strike zone, no free passes, knowing how to handle those moments I think is really important for his development and to keep getting better.”

Veteran lefty Wade Miley was the Cubs’ other option to start on Sunday after making his season debut on Tuesday. The Cubs have yet to announce their probable starters for their next series, at home against the Pirates, but starting Miley on Sunday would give him five days between starts. 

The Cubs still don’t have a timeline for the return of right-hander Marcus Stroman or reliever David Robertson. The team placed both on the injured list without a designation, which usually means a COVID-19 related move. 

“I know they’re playing catch together,” Ross said, “so I think they’re feeling a bit better.”

‘I think he’ll come back strong’

The Cubs are expecting a lengthy absence for 2020 first-round draft pick Ed Howard, who sustained a serious hip injury trying to avoid a tag running to first base earlier this week.

“Obviously, there’s never good timing for an injury like that,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Saturday. “But it’s a shame, he worked so incredibly hard this winter, he got stronger than anyone at our camp this winter, and you look at his exit velocities, he brought his strikeout rate down, he’s been playing his typical good defense. It’s a shame that his season’s going to be cut short.”

Howard, the Cubs’ No. 14 prospect as ranked by mlb.com, was on a hot streak when he sustained the injury, batting . 333 over his past nine games.  

“But he’ll work hard, and the attitude has been really good despite the fact that he’s really bummed out about the injury,” Hoyer said. “… I think he’ll come back strong.” 

Nuts and bolts

Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner (right ankle sprain) “tested the waters,” as he put it, on Saturday, taking some easy ground balls in the outfield before Saturday’s game. Outfielder Seiya Suzuki returned to the starting lineup Saturday after tweaking his ankle on a base Monday at San Diego. He pinch hit once between the injury and Saturday.

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White Sox manager Tony La Russa said he thinks right-hander Lucas Giolito might be able to return to the rotation sooner than thought, which would provide short- and long-term benefits for the team’s upcoming eight-game trip.

‘‘As of Saturday, it appears that he’ll be able to pitch one of those games,’’ La Russa said, referring to a five-game series starting Monday against the Royals in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Sox haven’t named a starter for the series opener or for one of the games of the doubleheader Tuesday. Right-hander Dylan Cease will start one of the games Tuesday, leaving a scenario that could target Giolito for Monday or Tuesday, pending two negative COVID-19 tests.

The Sox are expected to purchase the contract of right-hander Johnny Cueto from Triple-A Charlotte and start him Monday or Tuesday, pending Giolito’s status.

The Sox already have projected right-hander Vince Velasquez and left-hander Dallas Keuchel to start the final two games of the series Wednesday and Thursday.

Should Giolito return for the front end of the series against the Royals, he would be on schedule to face the Yankees next weekend at Yankee Stadium.

Giolito pitched seven innings of one-run ball Tuesday against the Guardians and has allowed one run or fewer in three of his five starts.

Extra wait no Bummer

Left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer admitted a switch that requires pitchers to stay on the injured list for at least 15 days instead of 10 has reduced the urge to accelerate his recovery from a strained right knee.

‘‘I kind of make the joke I wish I would have gotten hurt five days sooner or something, so I would have been on the 10-day [IL], compared to the 15,’’ said Bummer, who is eligible to return next Sunday.

‘‘It’s definitely something to where we can be safe. It’s not only to make sure that the leg, the knee, that everything is good there, [but] it gives my arm a break to hopefully be able to keep going. It’s just an overall good reset. It’s good for the rest of the season.’’

Bummer appeared in a career-high 62 games last season and had appeared in 12 this season before feeling pain that he said has subsided since he went on the IL.

Bummer is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday.

Progress for Lynn

Right-hander Lance Lynn’s recovery from surgery on his right knee has advanced to the point where La Russa thinks he might be able to rejoin the rotation by late May or early June. That window originally was targeted for Lynn to be on a rehab assignment.

‘‘I think after another [bullpen session] or two, he’s going to start facing hitters,’’ La Russa said. ‘‘That would be a lift. He’s a big stalwart. In the meantime, you play with what you’ve got. We’re going to do that.’’

La Russa was more cautious about the potential return of slugger Eloy Jimenez, who has displayed remarkable mobility since having surgery April 26 to repair a tendon in his right hamstring.

‘‘Everybody believes his progress is really impressive,’’ La Russa said. ‘‘But there is a certain buildup in the muscle that has to happen, and you just can’t fast-forward that.’’

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Winger Chris Mueller is a local product whose career has had its ups and downs. Despite his Chicago-area roots, the Fire had only been a footnote in his life before he joined them on May 5.

A Schaumburg native, Mueller signed with the Palatine-based Sockers FC Chicago youth program when he was a grade-schooler. As he continued to develop, Mueller grew more and more loyal to Sockers FC, who gave his mother a job during a difficult time for the family and provided him with a place to display his talent and potential.

Meanwhile, the Fire weren’t heavily recruiting Mueller for their youth program, so he remained with Sockers FC.

“I had good interest from colleges, and I had a good platform for playing anyway,” Mueller said. “So I just stuck with the academy there.”

Indeed, Mueller had college options and spent four seasons at Wisconsin. Then during the 2018 MLS SuperDraft, the Fire had a chance to snag Mueller with the fifth overall choice but took attacker Jon Bakero.

Mueller was picked sixth by Orlando City.

“I definitely didn’t have any thoughts in my mind at the time like, ‘Oh, man, I can’t believe [the Fire] passed on me,’ ’’ Mueller said. “I was more just open to the whole thing. I had no idea when I was going to get picked, where I was going to get picked. I just kind of went with the flow, so it was no sweat off my back.”

While Mueller said he didn’t have any hard feelings about being snubbed by his hometown club, perhaps Fire fans did. Bakero never made an impact in MLS, while Mueller became a dangerous winger in Orlando, earned two caps with the U.S. national team and eventually transferred to Scottish side Hibernian FC.

Things in Scotland didn’t exactly go as planned for Mueller. He signed a pre-contract with Hibernian in July 2021, but by the time he joined in January, the manager he expected to play for had been dismissed.

That tumult wasn’t helpful. Mueller had one goal in 15 appearances and played a different role than he first anticipated. He also received a backhanded compliment from Hibernian executive Ben Kensell when the club announced his departure to the Fire.

“Chris has worked extremely hard in training since he arrived but has found it difficult to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Scottish Premiership, which has severely limited his game time,” Kensell said.

But, like with other experiences in his career, Mueller is taking his Scottish adventure in stride. He was immersed in another culture and learned about himself as a player and a person.

“It was a positive experience because of how I came out on this side now,” Mueller said.

The Fire are glad he came to Chicago. They hope his skill, speed and ability to stretch opposing defenses and latch on to long passes from Xherdan Shaqiri and Gaston Gimenez will ignite a flagging attack.

“We are very happy to have him, and he’s a great addition to the team,” coach Ezra Hendrickson said.

For somebody who grew up in the northwest suburbs, Mueller has traveled a lengthy path to reach Soldier Field.

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As a quizmaster, I draw my inspiration for our weekly get-togethers from varied sources. I was thinking about crafting something interesting for you last Saturday as I watched the Cubs lose two to the Dodgers (on their way to being swept) and the Sox paired with the Sox at Fenway, scoring two in extra innings for their second consecutive win over Boston (on their way to a sweep).

Later that day, the Kentucky Derby, which often is referred to as “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” took place, and I wish I had placed a $2 bet on Rich Strike. It was then that I realized that deuces were running wild, and voila . . . we’ve got a quiz theme.

With that in mind, we’re off to the races. Let’s get to the quiz.

1. Last season (that’s 2021, for those of you reading this in the future), who led the White Sox with the most games with exactly two hits?

a. Jose Abreu 

b. Tim Anderson

c. Yoan Moncada

d. Leury Garcia

2. Which of these players had the most career two-homer games for a Chicago team?

a. Paul Konerko

b. Billy Williams

c. Ernie Banks

d. Frank Thomas

3. We are always talking about no-hitters and one-hitters, but rarely does the topic of two-hitters cross our mind. That changes now. Since 1950, which Chicago pitcher has tossed the most complete-game two-hitters?

a. Early Wynn  

b. Fergie Jenkins

c. Ken Holtzman  

d. Billy Pierce

4. Here are three Chicago pitchers. Which of them hit two homers in a game (there may be more than one)?

a. Fergie Jenkins        

b. Gary Peters

c. Mark Buehrle         

d. Dixie Howell

5. Nico Hoerner wears No. 2 for the Cubs. In 2019, the Cubs had three (!) players wear No. 2. Who of the ­following did not?

a. Nico Hoerner

b. Carlos Gonzalez

c. Tommy La Stella

d. Mark Zagunis

6. Since 1901, who is the Chicago leader in career two-baggers (you know, doubles)?

a. Paul Konerko

b. Frank Thomas

c. Ryne Sandberg

d. Mark Grace

7. Only one Chicago player has had two seasons with 22 homers. Who is he?

a. Jose Abreu           

b. Moises Alou

c. Harold Baines        

d. Javy Baez

8. Two-strike hitting is an art. Who was the Chicago premier artist in 2021 (meaning who had the highest batting average with two strikes)?

a. Nick Madrigal

b. Luis Robert 

c. Frank Schwindel

d. Tim Anderson

9. Two-out hitting is such an important skill, particularly with runners in scoring position. In 2021, who led Chicago in RBI with two outs and RISP?

a. Patrick Wisdom       

b. Luis Robert

c. Frank Schwindel      

d. Jose Abreu

ANSWERS

1. Abreu had 31 games. Anderson was next with 30.

2. Konerko and Williams each had 28, but Banks had 38. Sammy Sosa had 59, but I don’t count his.

3. Pierce tossed seven, Wynn had six and Jenkins and Holtzman had four each. It won’t surprise you that, since 1950, Nolan Ryan threw the most with 18.

4. Jenkins was one of five Cubs pitchers with a two-homer game. Howell was the only White Sox pitcher to ever do it. Keeping with our theme, Howell hit his pair in the second game of a doubleheader on June 16, 1957. He was the second pitcher used, and he was the winner, evening his record at . . . you guessed it, 2-2.

5. La Stella wore it from 2016 to 2018. In 2019, he was wearing No. 9 for the Angels.

6. Thomas had 447 doubles, but Chicago’s leader is Grace with 456. Count me among those of you who were surprised.

7. In 1985 and 1996, Baines hit 22 dingers for the Sox.

8. Robert hit .286, going 34-for-119, to lead Chicago.

9. Jose, can you see him driving in those runs? Abreu had 33 RBI to lead Chicago. He was sixth in MLB.

Have a great week, and double down on the good things. Send me questions for and about the quiz: [email protected]. 

Check out Bill Chuck’s new book, ‘‘In Scoring Position: 40 Years of a Baseball Love Affair,’’ a love letter to the game of baseball from sports columnist Bob Ryan and our favorite baseball historian and statistician.

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The White Sox certainly aren’t off to a rip-roaring start, but most people still expect them to eventually get into a sustained groove.

The Cubs are off to a discouraging start, and can anyone think of a reason it won’t continue?

In this week’s “Polling Place” — your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter — we asked voters which is likelier, that the Sox will win 90 games or the Cubs will lose 90 games.

“Sox 94-68, Cubs 52-110,” @GorgeHoldcroft predicted.

We also asked which starter you’d pick for a must-win game: the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks, the Sox’ Lucas Giolito or the Sox’ Dylan Cease.

“Gotta be honest,” @DanGoodwinIII wrote, “Cease is that dude. I would call on him.”

Finally, we asked in regard to the Bears, Blackhawks and Cubs: Which team is furthest from a championship?

“Is this a trick question?” @revot14 asked.

No tricks, just picks. On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: Which is likelier, that the White Sox will win 90 games or the Cubs will lose 90 games?

Upshot: The earlier 52-110 prediction for the Cubs seems overly dire, but this clearly is a losing team that was up against it in the talent department even before the injury list grew to outsized proportions. The Cubs will have to compete with all they’ve got — and then some — to stay within sniffing range of .500. Wait, did we say .500? We’re beginning to think we meant .400.

Poll No. 2: Must-win game tomorrow, and all three Chicago pitchers are on full rest. Who’s your starter?

Upshot: Anyone else a bit surprised that young Cease got the nod? The veteran Giolito has, after all, been solid as a rock for a few years now. Hendricks has had an excellent career and has invaluable postseason experience. Cease — a former Cubs prospect — has so much talent and lately has been putting it all together. Cracked @WhiteSox_UK: “Dylan Cease would run for president and I would vote for him.”

Poll No. 3: Which team is furthest from a championship?

Upshot: “The parity in this poll speaks volumes for the Chicago sports landscape,” according to @i_am_hoops, who makes, let’s face it, a sensible observation. But it’s the Hawks who win — sorry, lose — this one, and by a margin that could hardly be described as tight. Put it this way: It’s more like a 5-2 loss sealed by an empty netter than a 3-2 loss in an overtime shootout.

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There’s something very comforting for Nikola Vucevic in wearing the red and white.

At least for one more season.

The Bulls’ big man made that very clear coming out of his exit interview with the front office and coaching staff, knowing that while he could be a moveable piece this summer, he likely won’t be packing up the cardboard boxes anytime soon.

“They [the front office] want to have continuity, that’s for sure,’’ Vucevic said. “They want to see [how] this thing looks and what it can do. As far as moves they can make, I don’t really know that. That’s their job. But I know they want to continue to build a team that can win and can compete to the highest level, so that’s the goal.’’

A goal that also comes with a reasonable price tag as far as Vucevic is concerned.

The center’s salary actually drops from $24 million to $22 million in his walk year, making him the 46th highest-paid player before free agency starts.

Not only did executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas sound like he was all in on one more year of Vucevic, but he also didn’t rule out talking about an extension with the 31-year-old at some point before the 2022-23 season.

“He was one of our most durable players,’’ Karnisovas said. “And I think if you think about the rotations, guards going in and out, wings going in and out, I think he would have been probably the hardest guy to replace. But he stayed available and he’s been a vital part of what we run on offense and all year long just being available, he’s been great for us.’’

When asked about a possible extension, Karnisovas replied, “There’s going to be more focus right now on the draft, and once we get to it, we’re going to meet up with the group and gonna make decisions.’’

So what exactly would they be bringing back in Vucevic? A double-double machine who is a threat from three-point range, despite his worst shooting percentage from outside (31.4%) since the 2017-18 season. But also a center who struggled defensively at times, especially within the framework of being the third piece in the ‘‘Big Three’’ along with DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.

While the Rudy Gobert trade rumors are interesting, they just aren’t realistic for the Bulls financially, especially with LaVine a top priority for a max contract. Gobert, teamed with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, would give the Bulls a potentially dominating defense, but Gobert is signed through the 2025-26 season and owed roughly about $167 million between now and then.

Deandre Ayton’s game would be a perfect fit, but the restricted free agent likely will stay with the Suns, who can match any offer.

That means unless there’s an unforeseen trade scenario out there, Vucevic will at least play out his current deal with the Bulls, and he’s comfortable with that.

“I mean almost all the great teams, they’re built over time. Nothing happens overnight,’’ Vucevic said. “I think they know that, I think that was the message of what we talked about in exit meetings.’’

WHAT THE BULLS HAVE

Vucevic, Tristan Thompson, Tony Bradley, Marko Simonovic.

WHO COULD BE ON THE MOVE

Thompson is an unrestricted free agent and likely won’t be back, while Bradley has a $2 million player option he likely will exercise after a down season.

THE DRAFT

With the 18th overall pick in the draft, there are some interesting center projects who could be available. That starts with Auburn 7-1 big man Walker Kessler, who averaged 4.6 blocks per game and could be a defensive force at the rim.

FREE AGENCY

The Bulls should do their due diligence and at least offer a contract to Ayton — just in case — but after that there’s a dip in talent. Mitchell Robinson is an interesting rim-runner/rim protector but often injured.

WILD CARD

This is still a Bulls roster with a lack of physicality, especially up front. DeMarcus Cousins, anyone?

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