Cubs’ Ben Zobrist scratched from lineup with sore back on day Rizzo returns

It was one medical step forward, one step back for the Cubs on Tuesday.

Emphasis on back.

On a day the team activated first baseman Anthony Rizzo from the 10-day disabled list after his recovery from back stiffness, veteran Ben Zobrist was a late scratch from the lineup because of the same problem.

Zobrist was supposed to bat leadoff and play right field against the Cardinals on a night the game-time temperature was 35 degrees with a 29-degree wind chill.

It isn’t clear when Zobrist will return. He had the start of his spring training delayed by similar back soreness.

Ian Happ replaced Zobrist in the leadoff spot and played center field, with Jason Heyward moving from center to right field.

Yadi, yadda, yadda

Catcher Willson Contreras said before the game he looked forward to seeing Cardinals veteran catcher Yadier Molina for the first time since their “misunderstanding” over comments Contreras made to the Sun-Times during the Cubs Convention.

“We have respect for each other, especially me for him,” said Contreras.

In January, Contreras talked about wanting to be considered among the best catchers, citing Molina and the Giants’ Buster Posey, saying: “I used to watch a lot of those guys, but now I’m watching myself because I know that I’m going to be better than them. That’s my plan. That’s my [mindset].”

Molina took to Instagram to send an All-Star photo of himself posing with Posey and the Royals’ Salvador Perez, admonishing the young Cub to show respect.

On Tuesday, Molina, who considers Contreras a friend, shrugged it off: “We’re good. We’re all good.”

As for Clint Hurdle …

Contreras, who was folded into Pirates manager Clint Hurdle’s comments about Javy Baez and “respect for the game” last week, said the veteran manager was off base if he thinks he or Baez don’t respect the game.

“That caught me by surprise because that was the first time I heard something like that from another team,” said Contreras, who added he routinely tips his hat to the opposing manager and dugout before every game, including Hurdle that night.

He said the disagreement he had with umpire Dan Bellino over a strike call — which Hurdle mentioned — was not disrespectful and that he and Bellino were fine afterward.

“If he thinks that we disrespected baseball and have to have more respect for baseball, then, man, he needs to teach me what,” Contreras said. “Because I think every game we go out there and play our best, and if we do something wrong we have our teammates, and I’m sure that more than one is going to come to me and say what I did wrong. And I will appreciate that, always.

“What he said is going to make me better, for sure. It’s going to motivate me to keep getting better.”

He said it

Manager Joe Maddon, when asked how his two-day “winter vacation” went:

“We got some skiing in. Some figure skating. … Definitely the bullpen’s rested. I know that.”

Contributing: Madeline Kenney