rd baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Addison Russell will be activated from the disabled list prior to Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies.According to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-adams-jersey , Maddon said he expects Bryant to start Saturday, but he did not offer specifics on Russell's role.Bryant hasn't played since July 23 due to a shoulder injury, while Russell has been on the shelf since Aug. 19 with a sprained finger.Prior to landing on the DL, Bryant was having a somewhat disappointing season with a .276 batting average, 11 home runs and 44 RBI in 76 games.The two-time All-Star is just two seasons removed from being named National League MVP after hitting .292 with 39 homers and 102 RBI in 2016.Russell has appeared in 112 games this season, and he is hitting .259 with five home runs and 37 RBI.He was named an All-Star for the first and only time in 2016, but his production has dropped off over the past two seasons.In 2017 and 2018 combined, Russell has 17 homers and 80 RBI Joe Blanton Jersey , compared to 21 home runs and 95 RBI in 2016 alone.David Bote has been filling in for Bryant at third, while Javier Baez went from second base to shortstop with the recently acquired Daniel Murphy playing second during Russell's absence.The return of Bryant and Russell will give the Cubs considerable depth and the option of rotating the likes of Baez, Murphy, Russell and Ben Zobrist in the middle infield.Chicago entered play Friday with the best record in the National League at 79-54, and a 4.5-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Chicago Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish lasted just one inning in his rehab start with Class A South Bend on Sunday, casting doubt on his availability for the rest of the year.Darvish, who has been sidelined by triceps and elbow injuries http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-adams-jersey , shook his arm as he left the field after striking out Great Lakes’ Romer Cuadrado with a 95-mph fastball for the last out of the first. But he said the first inning was great.“I felt real good,” Darvish said through an interpreter. “I didn’t feel any abnormalities in that sense.”When Darvish warmed up for the second, he threw six pitches and winced on each one. Miguel Amaya, who caught Darvish’s rehab start for South Bend on June 25, walked to the mound and summoned manager Jimmy Gonzalez and a trainer. After a short discussion, Darvish walked to the dugout.“During warmups the next inning, I felt something in there,” Darvish said. “Last time (in June) I did feel the same thing (but) I continued to throw. This time I stopped.”Darvish http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-adams-jersey , who turned 32 on Thursday, signed a $126 million, six-year contract with Chicago in February. But he has made just eight starts in his first year with the Cubs, going 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA.Darvish said he would ask for an MRI when he got back to Chicago. He wasn’t sure if would miss the rest of the year.“I can’t really tell right now,” Darvish said. “It depends how I feel tomorrow. I really want to come back this season. I am going to work hard and do my best to try and come back.”The Cubs are on top of the NL with a 71-52 record, but their rotation is looking a little thin. Mike Montgomery was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Friday with left shoulder inflammation, and Tyler Chatwood has struggled in his first year with Chicago after signing a $38 million, three-year contract over the winter.The Cubs were optimistic about a possible return for Darvish after he threw about 55 pitches in a simulated game on Tuesday. But that optimism was likely wiped out by Sunday’s rehab appearance.Darvish allowed a first-pitch single and issued a walk Wilmer Difo Jersey , then retired three in a row. He totaled 19 pitches, 10 for strikes.In his June rehab start for South Bend, Darvish allowed one run and three hits in five innings. His fastball reached 94 mph, but he complained afterward that his arm got tired as the outing went on.