CHICAGO (AP) — Joe Maddon’s future is a big question hovering over the Chicago Cubs heading into the season.President of baseball operations Theo Epstein thinks everything is going to work out just fine.“My bet is that it goes extraordinarily well with Joe and the whole group and that he’s here for a long time to come Reggie Sanders Jersey ,” Epstein said.Maddon, who turns 65 next month, is under contract for one more year after Epstein and the Cubs decided against offering him an extension over the winter. They want to see how the team rebounds from a disappointing finish last year.Chicago posted at least 92 wins and made the playoffs in each of Maddon’s first four seasons as manager. It won the World Series in 2016 for its first championship since 1908.But the Cubs blew a five-game lead in the NL Central last September. They lost to Milwaukee in a tiebreaker for the division title and then dropped the NL wild-card game against Colorado.Cracks in the relationship between Maddon and the front office seemed to develop during the season. But on Saturday, there was nothing but praise from Epstein.He credited Maddon’s handling of the young players in 2015 and 2016 for that drought-busting title. He praised Maddon’s ability to create an environment that allowed them “to have fun.” He also mentioned Maddon’s flexibility and willingness to adapt.“The great thing about Joe is even though he’s a little bit older than me, he’s never standing still,” Epstein said. “He’s never satisfied. He’s a creative person. I think he’s an adaptable person. He’s someone who likes the challenge. He is someone who is going to bring great energy to solving any problem.”One big challenge for Chicago: Getting more out of an inconsistent lineup.Sluggers Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remain free agents, but it doesn’t sound as if Epstein has room to fit another blockbuster contract into his budget for next season. A healthy Kris Bryant should help Johnny Bench Jersey , after a left shoulder injury limited the 2016 NL MVP to a career-low 102 games.If the Cubs get more at the plate from Willson Contreras among others, they believe they can eliminate the wild scoring swings that hurt them last season. Chicago was fourth in the NL in runs but had one or zero in 39 regular-season games.“We felt like we should have hit better than we did,” Ben Zobrist said. “Changes were made. Some structural changes are being made as well at the same time, the way that we’re gonna go about some of the routines and things like that. That’s the challenge that we have ahead of us as a hitting group, knowing how we’re gonna handle those dips in those times where things don’t go as well.”Chicago has a new hitting coach, with Anthony Iapoce replacing the fired Chili Davis. Iapoce held a similar job with the Texas Rangers the past three seasons. He was a special assistant in the Cubs’ front office from 2013-15, overseeing their minor league hitting program and working with several of their current position players.“He’s great http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic … gan-jersey ,” Bryant said. “He’s really good. When I worked with him, it wasn’t necessarily mechanics. It was more the mental side. I think we all have the talent to be a good hitter or we all wouldn’t be here.”Epstein is banking on the Cubs rebounding, delivering more consistently at the plate. If they do, that could go a long way toward determining whether Maddon remains their manager.“It hasn’t fully happened the way we expected it to,” Epstein said. “I don’t think this offense is fully realized. … I think you’re going to see significant bounce-back.” PHOENIX (AP) — Bryan Mitchell’s strong return to San Diego’s rotation and a big boost from Franmil Reyes‘ bat put Arizona in a deeper hole in the NL West.Reyes homered twice and had four RBIs, Mitchell pitched five effective innings in his return from the DL and the Padres knocked off the playoff-contending Diamondbacks 6-2 Monday night.“I just tried to take one pitch at a time and not really let things speed up,” said Mitchell Dave Concepcion Jersey , who earned his first win since April 12, 2017. “It had been a while so that first inning was kind of different, but we were able to get out with one run, limit the damage there. I definitely settled in after that.”Mitchell (1-3) was sharp in his first start off the DL due to a right elbow impingement, holding the Diamondbacks to a run on two hits — all in the first inning.Reyes hit a three-run homer off Zack Godley (14-8) in the second inning and a solo shot off the right-hander in the fourth. Austin Hedges added a two-run single in the eighth inning for the Padres, who have won five of seven.Reyes had his first career multihomer game and has homered in five of the past nine games to extend his hitting streak to nine games.“He looks really confident in the batter’s box,” Padres manager Andy Reid said. “I can’t really think of anybody in big league baseball who has as much pop or more pop than him.”Steven Souza Jr. had a run-scoring single in the first inning and Paul Goldschmidt an RBI double in the eighth for Arizona. The Diamondbacks were limited to five hits in their fourth loss in five games Pete Rose Jersey , dropping two games behind Colorado in the NL West.“This is a group of guys that have done it before. They have done it this year at times,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It obviously hasn’t been as consistent as we have seen it. The same theme I have been talking about. Grind it out, keep getting after it, stay with the process. If it is not there for you, hand it off to the next guy.”The Diamondbacks returned to the desert after a difficult trip to Southern California. Arizona entered a four-game series with the Dodgers atop the division and left a game back after Los Angeles won three of four. All three loses came when the Dodgers rallied late, including Matt Kemp’s two walk-off hits off Archie Bradley.The Diamondbacks found themselves needing to rally after Godley walked the first two batters of the second inning and Reyes followed with a three-run homer to the pool deck in right-center to put San Diego up 3-1.Godley gave up two hits for the second straight start, but both were home runs. He allowed four runs and struck out six in five innings.“I felt like I made really http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic … fey-jersey , really good pitches,” Godley said. “I made two bad pitches on the night. Both of them I paid for.”LOPEZ RECALLEDThe Diamondbacks recalled RHP Yoan Lopez from Double-A Jackson and transferred 3B Jake Lamb to the 60-day disabled list. Arizona signed Lopez to an $8.27 million bonus coming out of Cuba in 2015, but he spent four seasons in the minors and at one time considered leaving baseball. The 25-year-old was 2-5 with 12 saves and led Southern League relievers in opponent average at .174. Lamb had season-ending left shoulder surgery last month.PADRES MOVESSan Diego reinstated RHP Luis Perdomo (right shoulder) from the 10-day disabled list and RHP Kirby Yates from the bereavement list. Both will work in the Padres’ bullpen.TRAINER’S ROOMDiamondbacks: Catcher Alex Avila had a foul ball bounce off the dirt and hit him in the throat in the third inning, but stayed in the game before being replaced by a pinch hitter in the seventh.UP NEXTDiamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray has allowed three runs or less his past five starts heading into Tuesday’s game against the Padres. San Diego LHP Joey Lucchesi is winless in four career starts against the Diamondbacks with a 7.71 ERA.