KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nobody was in denial about Ian Happ’s recent struggles. The Chicago Cubs’ switch-hitting left fielder was losing playing time against lefties and entered Saturday on a 0-for-20 slump.In Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals, Happ struck out in his first at-bat, his fifth straight strikeout. In his next plate appearance, he made hard contact, lining out to center field. That seemed to help Happ find his timing. The next time he stepped to the plate, he slugged a ball over the right-field fence, and in his final at-bat of the evening, Happ ripped a line-drive double to right.“Finally barreled a ball up,” Happ said of the lineout in his second at-bat. “Felt like I saw the ball really well those first two (at-bats) and then put a couple good swings in my next at-bats. Just some good swings to build upon.”Hours before the game, Happ sat cross-legged on the floor of the clubhouse. Next to him was Cubs assistant hitting coach John Mallee. This wasn’t unusual. Mallee and Happ have known each other for a decade, dating back to Happ’s first major-league season in 2017. Mallee left Chicago after 2017 to join the coaching staffs of the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, but he returned to the Cubs in 2024.Do trade deadline deals lead to World Series rings?Joe Crisalli“We’ve been together a long time,” Happ said. “Just checking in to start the day.”Still, the image of the two talking hitting in the clubhouse stood out. Happ, a consistent presence in the Cubs lineup, was in the midst of one of the worst stretches of his career. Happ started the season strong, but saw his wRC+ drop to 101 entering Saturday’s game. His strikeout rate had jumped to over 31 percent, his highest since 2018.