Who’s hot, who’s not for the Chicago Cubs heading into the week

Chicago Cubs: Several big bats are fading over the last week

The big story of the first few weeks of 2019? The offensive exploits of veteran outfielder Jason Heyward. We all know the story. Signed in free agency after putting up a career year for the rival Cardinals, Heyward came to the North Side and promptly failed to play up to expectations in each of his first three seasons.

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But he was hitting the ball with authority for most of April, leading many to wonder if this was the year he finally turned the corner and became a threat lying in wait near the bottom of the Cubs’ order. Just as folks were starting to buy into that theory, the veteran has gone cold, going 4 for his last 20 with one home run and a lackluster .350 slugging percentage.

Another guy who looked ready to put last season behind him early, Willson Contreras, has also fell off dramatically. And one has to wonder if it’s in any way related to the fact that he’s handled virtually all of the team’s innings behind the dish following the injury to backup catcher Victor Caratini in mid-April.

In his last seven, Contreras has limped to a .150/.261/.350 line with a horrendous 11 strikeouts to just two walks in his last 20 at-bats. For a guy who looked ready to lead the charge offensively, the Cubs need to figure out where things went off the tracks last week with their All-Star backstop.

Despite a two-hit effort on April 24 (just his second multi-hit game of the month), Kris Bryant continues to struggle. He’s barely keeping his head above the Mendoza Line over the last week. Granted, he hit a pair of home runs during that stretch – a promising sign given his lack of power following a shoulder injury last season – but Chicago needs more from him – period.

It’s still too early to panic – and a week does not a season make – but these are just a few names to keep an eye on as the Cubs return to Wrigley Field this weekend for a critical slate of games that includes matchups with their two biggest division foes.