Heyward is a "safe bet" to be on the Dodgers' Opening Day roster, manager Dave Roberts told Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic on Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

It had already seemed like a good bet even before Gavin Lux's knee injury pushed Chris Taylor into more infield duty. The Dodgers aren't exactly settled in left or center field, so Heyward could actually wind up playing quite a bit. He's showed up to camp with a new swing and has already popped a couple Cactus League homers.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Heyward "absolutely" has a leg up in the competition for the final outfield roster spot, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Heyward made a significant swing change over the offseason, and Roberts noted that he liked how it looked during live batting practice Monday in camp. The 33-year-old accepted a minor-league contract from Los Angeles back in December after getting cut loose by the Cubs. He's slashed just .211/.280/.326 in 504 major-league plate appearances since the beginning of the 2021 campaign, but perhaps the Dodgers can work some of their magic on him in 2023.

Heyward made a significant adjustment to his mechanics at the plate over the winter, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The case against Heyward is easy to make: he's a 33-year-old non-roster invitee who owns an 88 wRC+ over the last seven seasons and a 67 wRC+ over the last two. The case in his favor no longer relies solely on stats from 2015 or earlier, however. He's found himself with an organization that has a reputation for improving its players, and it appears that work has already begun. There's no guarantee Heyward's swing change has the desired effect, but he's at least given himself a chance to remain relevant.

Heyward agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Thursday which includes an invitation to major-league spring training, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 33-year-old was released by the Cubs in November and will now join the Dodgers as a reclamation project. Heyward is owed $22 million by Chicago for the final year of the eight-year contract he signed in 2015, so Los Angeles will only pay the big-league minimum if he makes it to the majors. The veteran outfielder played in just 48 games last season and had a .204/.278/.277 slash line.

The Cubs granted Heyward (knee) his unconditional release Monday.

EDGE Analysis

Chicago reinstated Heyward from the 60-day injured list last week in what amounted to a procedural move, but he won't stick around on the 40-man roster after Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer previously announced in August that the veteran outfielder wouldn't be retained for the 2023 season. Though Heyward was an everyday player and positive clubhouse presence on the Cubs' 2016 World Series-winning squad, he was otherwise a massive disappointment after inking an eight-year, $184 million deal with Chicago in December 2015. Over his seven seasons in Chicago, Heyward slashed .245/.323/.377 (88 wRC+) across 2,836 plate appearances. The Cubs will eat the remaining $22 million on Heyward's deal while allowing the 33-year-old to hit free agency, but he's unlikely to fetch much more than a minor-league deal or a low-cost one-year MLB deal on the open market this winter.

The Cubs transferred Heyward (knee) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Heyward was already set to miss the remainder of the 2022 campaign, but the Cubs' decision to move him to the 60-day IL will open up a spot on the 40-man roster for Javier Assad, who was called up Tuesday to start the first game of a doubleheader with the Cardinals. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer already said the veteran outfielder won't be retained heading into 2023, but the team may not officially release him until the offseason.

GM Jed Hoyer, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, said Monday that Heyward (knee) will not play again this season nor for the Cubs any longer.

EDGE Analysis

Heyward has one season left on the eight-year deal he signed with the Cubs back in December of 2015, but the veteran has had a tough couple years and does not fit into the Cubs' rebuilding plans, so the two sides will part ways at some point in the not-too-distant future. Heyward will turn 33 on Tuesday, and per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com wants to continue playing, so he figures to get a shot with another club in 2023.

Heyward is still experiencing inflammation in his right knee and has no timeline for a return, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

Heyward began light baseball activity July 10, though his knee apparently didn't respond well. He's been on the injured list since June 30 and likely won't be able to return until at least late August.

Heyward (knee) was cleared Sunday to participate in light baseball activities and light running, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Cubs haven't indicated whether Heyward will eventually need a minor-league rehab assignment before being activated from the 10-day injured list, but since he's only doing light activities at this point, he doesn't look on track to return before the All-Star break. Heyward has been on the IL since June 30 with right knee inflammation.

Heyward (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to June 27, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

EDGE Analysis

Heyward was slated to miss a fifth consecutive game Thursday, but he'll land on the injured list after being diagnosed with inflammation in his right knee. The 32-year-old has progressed slowly in his recovery over the last several days, and it's not yet clear when he'll be able to return from the injured list. Narciso Crook's contract was selected to provide additional outfield depth, at least until Seiya Suzuki (finger) is able to return.