CHICAGO — Rookie Ian Happ made his first appearance as a leadoff batter in Friday’s opener of a three-game series between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.
Saturday’s leadoff batter is anybody’s guess.
For Cubs manager Joe Maddon, it all depends. He has mentioned Ben Zobrist and even Jason Heyward as potential candidates in favor of Kyle Schwarber, who led off in 35 games but has struggled at the plate.
“Versus lefties, (the lineup) could be different,” Maddon said. “I’m just trying to toy with different ideas. … It’s always nice to have (a consistent leadoff hitter), I’m not going to deny that.