Brandon Brown
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks, the last remaining member of the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 World Series championship team, is being moved to the bullpen, manager Craig Counsell announced Tuesday.according to the Chicago Tribune). Chicago will play a bullpen game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. That was Hendricks’ next scheduled start.
“The goal is still to get Kyle on the right track and get him back in the rotation,” Counsell said (according to the Chicago Tribune).
It was a difficult season for the 34-year-old Hendricks. He allowed an MLB-leading 36 earned runs in seven starts and 30 2/3 innings, giving him a 10.57 ERA. He’s surrendered 10 home runs in those 30 2/3 innings and opponents are hitting .362/.411/.638 against him. Last time out, the Pittsburgh Pirates scored Hendricks for eight runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Never a strong pitcher, Hendricks is averaging 90 mph with his sinker this year, which is his best velocity since averaging 90 mph with the same pitch in 2016. The problem is command more than anything. thing. Given his speed, Hendricks operates with a small margin for error and is simply making too many mistakes with his normally reliable fastball and changeup.
Hendricks has made just one relief appearance in his major league career: July 7, 2016, against the Braves. He pitched two scoreless innings and only pitched in relief that day because he was not scheduled to start again before the All-Star break, so the Cubs had him come out of the bullpen on pitching day to lighten the load on the rest of the relief team. .
A year ago, Hendricks pitched 137 innings with a 3.74 ERA in his return from shoulder surgery, and he looked like himself in terms of limited hard contact. He pitched well enough for the Cubs to exercise their $16.5 million club option to bring him back in 2024. The Cubs originally acquired Hendricks from the Texas Rangers for Ryan Dempster at the 2012 trade deadline.
Ben Brown and Hayden Wesneski are the most likely candidates to enter the rotation to replace Hendricks. Brown has a 3.57 ERA in 35 1/3 innings spanning four starts and seven long relief appearances this year. Wesneski has a 1.91 ERA in 28 1/3 innings across three starts and five relief appearances. Both are on Chicago’s active roster.
Javier Assad, Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon are the four starting pitchers in the rotation right now. Hendricks has a 10.57 ERA in his seven starts and Cubs starters have a 2.41 ERA in the other 41 games. Overall, Chicago’s rotation has been a strong point this season.
The Cubs enter play on Tuesday with a 26-22 record, although they have lost five of their last seven games. They are 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, Counsell’s former team, in the NL Central.
