MILWAUKEE – Cubs outfielder Ian Happ acknowledged it was tough getting a shocking demotion out of spring training and settling into a 99-game stretch in the minors after spending more than a year and a half in the big leagues.
But as he made his return Friday night in Milwaukee, the switch-hitting Happ said the approach wasn’t complicated, even if it wasn’t easy:
“It’s a job,” he said. “You’re a professional, and when you’re asked to do something, when you’re asked to get better, you do your job.”
A season’s worth of work on both sides of the plate showed enough progress in recent weeks to lead Friday’s debut in left field, batting sixth, in the Cubs’ 3-2 loss.