The Latest Breaking News from Ian Happ

CHICAGO — The Phillies’ Nick Maton stepped up to the plate with two outs in the second inning on Thursday. Jean Segura was on first base. Maton took one pitch, and then another, and then one more, which he tried to bunt, but pulled his bat back.

The Cubs’ Ian Happ says players will adapt to new rules for 2023, but Mark Leiter Jr. is not too happy about them.

CHICAGO — If anyone expected a great outcry from players after Major League Baseball announced major rule changes for 2023 on Friday — a pitcher’s clock, enlarged bases and severe restrictions on defensive shifts — well, just take the temperature of P.J. Higgins’ reaction as an example.

The Chicago Cubs have nothing to prove in the remaining 25 games of the 2022 season, but they plan on playing out the schedule anyway.

ST. LOUIS — The Cardinals had been held to one run or none 12 times this season while ace right-hander Miles Mikolas had been on the mound.

“You can see a lot of players have success out there, but nobody respects them how they respect ‘the Machine,’ ” said the Cubs’ Franmil Reyes, Pujols’ fellow Dominican. “That means a lot to all of us.”

The MLBPA announced it launched a campaign to unionize minor-league players after receiving “overwhelming support” from its executive board Sunday.

The Cardinals slugger hit his 693rd home run Monday at Wrigley Field.

Cubs notebook: Happ hit his 100th career homer with the team.

The Cubs beat the Brewers 6-5 for their fifth consecutive victory.

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs’ recent stretch of winning series is about to be tested.