Free and easy: Addison Russell is on fire

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MIAMI — To say Addison Russell is back wouldn't really be accurate.

Even if the season is only four games old, the Cubs young shortstop is at a level the world hasn't seen in some time.

"Addy looks fantastic," manager Joe Maddon said after the Cubs finished a split with the Marlins in a four-game set.

In those four games, Russell has reached base 10 times, including five hits. He's also drawn four walks against only one strikeout while roping line drives from foul line to foul line.

He's also flashing the leather, making a pair of highlight-reel diving/sliding plays Sunday to preserve Jose Quintana's no-hitter (that only lasted through four innings). His arm looks strong and accurate, his release quick.

In January, Russell said he was back at 100 percent physically from the shoulder and foot maladies that ailed him in 2017. But he's also in the right place mentally, helping him lock in after a year of turmoil off the field.

"Early on in my career, it was pretty tough for me to kinda separate what I had going on off the field and what I had to do here while I was at work — playing baseball," Russell said. "But this year, definitely learning to separate the two and then focus in on what I have to do here and what my body needs for me to go out there and perform and that works on the mental side as well."

The 24-year-old shortstop is in his fourth year in the big leagues and said he feels free and easy at the plate. Calm, confident, in control mentally and physically.

And it's all because of...a hit-by-pitch. 

In his first plate appearance of 2018, Russell was plunked by Jose Urena and that was enough to get him going by relaxing him at the plate.

"Me getting on base that first at-bat was huge," he said. "It's a beanball, but still, it kinda puts it into your head like, the season's here.

"Getting hit like that made things a lot easier and I'm able to relax at the plate. I felt like I was very present at the plate and all those feelings this early is really good."

Russell isn't the only one who feels confident in his abilities at the plate.

With Willson Contreras getting a day off Sunday, Maddon placed Russell in the cleanup spot in the Cubs order, providing protection for Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. It was only the 18th career start higher than the fifth spot in the batting order for Russell.

He responded with a pair of line drives with runners on base, though neither were able to produce a run. Russell lined out hard to center field in the first inning and then doubled in the fifth with two outs, but Miami centerfielder Lewis Brinson made a great play to cut the ball off in the gap and keep Rizzo at third.

The line drives aren't even what Maddon is looking at right now. It's those walks, and laying off pitches out of the zone. Russell's plate discipline regressed last year, watching his walks decrease and strikeout increase from his breakout 2016 campaign.

In the early going, that trend is back in the right direction.

"I cannot emphasize enough with all our guys — when you're walking, you're hitting," Maddon said. "When you're expanding your strike zone, pitchers don't have to throw you strikes. Much more difficult to hit.

"When you got an organized strike zone and you're accomplished, you can really do some damage. Like that walk on that slider from [Marlins closer Brad] Ziegler [in Saturday's game] that [Russell] just spit on immediately. That told me everything."

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