CHICAGO — Sunday’s 6-3 loss meant the Chicago Cubs split a four-game series with the lowly Miami Marlins. This was certainly not the type of outcome a team with playoff aspirations wants against a team that already looks ready to be in sell mode before the calendar has even turned to May.
But bigger than the loss might be the decision the club might be forced to make with veteran starter Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks was in desperate need of a strong outing Sunday. The righty came into the day with a 12.71 ERA through four rough starts. But he faced a Marlins lineup that entered Sunday with a 69 wRC+ as a team, the second worst in all of baseball.
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Even if the Marlins weren’t the remedy for which the team has been searching, it wouldn’t be hard to argue Hendricks looked better. He gave up four runs on six hits over four innings while striking out five and walking none. There were flashes of the old Hendricks; the first and third innings showed his trademark pinpoint command. But it wasn’t enough.
“I thought there were some positive signs,” manager Craig Counsell said. “There were no walks, five strikeouts. I do think he limited the hard contact, for the most part. But they strung together a good rally, and we’re still looking at four runs on the board after four innings. Some good steps, some positive steps, some good innings, for sure. But we need better results, frankly.”
That Sunday’s outing could be argued as being a step forward for the struggling pitcher speaks to just how rough this start to the season has been for Hendricks. In a normal season, this would be one of those starts for Hendricks that everyone shrugs off as some bad luck and one mistake — when Jesús Sánchez launched a 460-foot home run in the second inning on a low four-seamer.
OVER THE BATTER'S EYE 🤯
Jesús Sánchez just hit this ball 460 feet! pic.twitter.com/Xf6kqG9o7F
— MLB (@MLB) April 21, 2024
The fourth inning was reminiscent of what generally bites Hendricks even when he’s on: balls in play finding holes. Most of the hits that frame came on soft contact, exactly what Hendricks wants. The Marlins saw Hendricks was trying to pound the zone early, and they attacked. The seven batters who went to the plate that inning saw a total of 10 pitches; the first four singled, and three came around to score.
“Gotta take the positives, progress,” Hendricks said. “Got beat like five pitches in a row there. First-pitch hunting, mostly fastballs there. But still, executed a lot, mentally more aggressive, on the glove. Just put us in a bad spot again. We had to win that game, take that series there. Lot of disappointments, but I gotta focus on the positives. The mental approach I took out there and executing on the glove was better.”
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Yes, there were positives. Hendricks walked no batters for only the second time this season. His five strikeouts were a season high. The average exit velocity of 85.5 mph was the second lowest of the season, and he seemed to be able to get the ball on the ground regularly. But the bottom line is that Hendricks gave up four runs in four innings, an outing that actually lowered his season ERA to 12.00.
“It’s just tough with the results not being there,” Hendricks said. “It’s a results-based game. It’s obviously not good on that end. But gotta take the positives, in the right direction. Just gotta put it together here.”
Hendricks has already given up eight home runs this season. The rest of the Cubs pitching staff has given up 15. At 21 innings in five starts, Hendricks is averaging under 4 1/3 innings per outing. That takes a toll on an already struggling bullpen and can impact the team beyond just that day’s game.
Counsell was quicker with the hook Sunday than perhaps he normally would have been. Hendricks was at 56 pitches after four innings. Maybe the leash would have been longer if luck had been on Hendricks’ side in the fourth. But Counsell saw a game that was a one-run deficit at the time and the Marlins turning their order over a third time. With a day off Monday, he decided it was best to call upon his relievers.
“Of course, in this stretch we’ve got coming up with no off days, we’re absolutely going to need more innings out of the starters,” Counsell said. “That’s going to be a big part of it.”
After Monday’s off day, the Cubs have 16 games in 16 days. If nothing changes with the rotation, Hendricks is scheduled to pitch Saturday in Boston, the series finale in New York against the Mets, against a San Diego Padres team that has already feasted on him and possibly against an Atlanta Braves team that teed off on him last summer. The Marlins were the soft spot in a tough stretch for Hendricks, and that he couldn’t fully take advantage has to give pause to even the biggest optimist.
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By then, team ace Justin Steele might be back from the hamstring injury he suffered on Opening Day. Steele threw 37 pitches over two simulated innings in a live BP session Sunday at Wrigley Field. After the loss, Counsell said all went well and that Steele would head to Arizona, where he’ll pitch in game action Friday. As Steele builds back up for his return, the Cubs will continue to try to figure out how to get Hendricks right.
“That’s exactly (why) we have to keep putting our heads together, is what’s the best way to get Kyle locked in and how we can help him do that,” Counsell said. “We’re going to continue that discussion.”
The focus has been on Hendricks’ mechanics, as his arm has been a tick behind. That usually happens because of something earlier in the delivery and then all the timing gets thrown off, leading to the command being slightly off. When that happens for Hendricks, it means things could get ugly because he doesn’t have the type of stuff to overcome poor command. The margin of error is just so tiny. But Hendricks is focused on the mental aspect, which he felt was much better Sunday.
“Mechanics feel good,” Hendricks said. “It’s more intent-based; it comes mentally. When I’m locked on the glove and aggressive, the mechanics sync up and they’re on time. When the thoughts aren’t like that, that’s when I’m missing.”
Hendricks has to cling to the positives right now. But even with legitimate excuses like soft contact leading to extra runs, the full picture tells a rough story. There’s still time for Hendricks to right the ship, and it does appear as though he’ll get a few more opportunities to do so. But both Hendricks and Counsell said it: The results have to start coming. If not, one of the more successful and celebrated runs for a pitcher in a Cubs uniform could be nearing the end.
(Photo: Griffin Quinn / Getty Images)
