Russell: ‘Body feels good, mind feels good’ after tumultuous week

PITTSBURGH — More than a week after his personal life became a highly charged public story because of social-media posts, shortstop Addison Russell is no closer to knowing what the resolution might be.

“I haven’t heard anything,” said Russell of Major League Baseball’s investigation into an Instagram post by a friend of his wife’s that alleged domestic violence.

Russell has not been contacted by MLB.

“As far as I know I haven’t heard anything, and that’s where I’m going to leave it,” said Russell, who spent a “mental” day at home, at the team’s request, when the news of the allegation spread.

Russell, who has slumped much of 2017 after an All-Star season last year, had a rough game in his return to the field June 10.

But since then, he seems to have found his comfort zone.

With a single in the first inning and a solo homer in the seventh inning Saturday in Pittsburgh, Russell is 6-for-21 (.286) since that rough return with three homers and four walks. Included in the stretch was a two-out, two-run double in the Cubs’ game-winning rally in the ninth inning Friday.

“The body feels good; the mind feels good,” he said. “I feel like I’m heading in the right direction as far as where the season is going, trying to finish up this first half and then take it easy at the All-Star break. I’m just trying to finish off this first half as strong as I can.”

Russell dismissed any notion that being at the ballpark provides a place of even greater comfort or normalcy since the allegations.

“This is my job. I love playing baseball,” he said. “I come to the field every single day and feel blessed to be able to come here and see these guys and play with these guys. I look forward each day just to coming to the clubhouse and playing ball.”

MLB is expected to publicize its conclusion when reached.

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