Proper-hander Kyle Hendricks, the final remaining member of the Chicago Cubs’ 2016 World Sequence championship workforce, is being moved to the bullpen, supervisor Craig Counsell introduced Tuesday (per the Chicago Tribune). Chicago will go along with a bullpen recreation towards the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. That was Hendricks’ subsequent scheduled begin.
“The objective nonetheless is to get Kyle on monitor and get him again within the rotation,” Counsell stated (per the Chicago Tribune).
It has been a troublesome season for the 34-year-old Hendricks. He has allowed an MLB-leading 36 earned runs in seven begins and 30 2/3 innings, giving him a ten.57 ERA. He is surrendered 10 house runs in these 30 2/3 innings and opponents are hitting .362/.411/.638 towards him. Final day out, the Pittsburgh Pirates tagged Hendricks for eight runs in 4 2/3 innings.
By no means a hard-thrower, Hendricks is averaging 87.8 mph together with his sinker this yr, which is his finest velocity since averaging 88.1 mph with the identical pitch in 2016. The issue is command greater than something. Given his velocity, Hendricks operates with a small margin of error, and he is merely making too many errors together with his fastball and sometimes dependable changeup.
Hendricks has made just one reduction look in his huge league profession: July 7, 2016, towards the Braves. He threw two scoreless innings and he solely pitched in reduction that day as a result of he was not scheduled to start out once more earlier than the All-Star break, so the Cubs had him come out of the bullpen on his throw day to lighten the load on the remainder of the reduction crew.
A yr in the past, Hendricks threw 137 innings with a 3.74 ERA in his return from shoulder surgical procedure, and he seemed like himself when it comes to restricted onerous contact. He pitched effectively sufficient that the Cubs exercised their $16.5 million membership choice to deliver him again in 2024. The Cubs initially acquired Hendricks from the Texas Rangers for Ryan Dempster on the 2012 commerce deadline.
Ben Brown and Hayden Wesneski are the most probably candidates to step into the rotation to switch Hendricks. Brown has a 3.57 ERA in 35 1/3 innings spanning 4 begins and 7 lengthy reduction appearances this yr. Wesneski has a 1.91 ERA in 28 1/3 innings throughout three begins and 5 reduction appearances. Each are on Chicago’s lively roster.
Javier Assad, Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon are the 4 beginning pitchers within the rotation for the time being. Hendricks has a ten.57 ERA in his seven begins and Cubs starters have a 2.41 ERA within the different 41 video games. By and huge, Chicago’s rotation has been a energy this season.
The Cubs enter play Tuesday with a 26-22 document, although they’ve misplaced 5 of their final seven video games. They’re 1.5 video games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, Counsell’s outdated workforce, within the NL Central.
