Cubs' Jason Heyward: Shuttled to COVID-19 IL

The Cubs placed Heyward on the COVID-19-related injured list Tuesday, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Officially, Chicago placed Heyward on the IL without a designation, which has typically served as an indicator that a player has tested positive for the virus or been deactivated due to contact-tracing concerns. Rafael Ortega will pick up the start in center field in Tuesday's game against the Pirates and should serve as Heyward's primary replacement in the lineup until the latter clears MLB's COVID-19-related protocols.