Proper-hander Kyle Hendricks, the final remaining member of the Chicago Cubs‘ 2016 World Collection championship crew, is being moved to the bullpen, supervisor Craig Counsell introduced Tuesday (per the Chicago Tribune). Chicago will go together with a bullpen sport 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 mentioned (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 trip, 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 along with his sinker this 12 months, which is his greatest 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 along with his fastball and usually dependable changeup.
Hendricks has made just one aid look in his huge league profession: July 7, 2016, towards the Braves. He threw two scoreless innings and he solely pitched in aid 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 aid crew.
A 12 months in the past, Hendricks threw 137 innings with a 3.74 ERA in his return from shoulder surgical procedure, and he regarded like himself when it comes to restricted exhausting contact. He pitched properly sufficient that the Cubs exercised their $16.5 million membership choice to convey 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 more than likely candidates to step into the rotation to exchange Hendricks. Brown has a 3.57 ERA in 35 1/3 innings spanning 4 begins and 7 lengthy aid appearances this 12 months. Wesneski has a 1.91 ERA in 28 1/3 innings throughout three begins and 5 aid 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 in the intervening time. 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 crew, within the NL Central.
