Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks has tried to focus on the positives despite his early-season struggles.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks has gotten off to poor starts before. And as he attempts to weather another slow beginning to a season, Hendricks is trying to focus mentally on the good.
“That’s where it’s at, number one,” Hendricks said. “Mentally, just keeping it simple and trying to stay positive on those things and then just taking the right mental approach when I’m out there.”
On Sunday against the Marlins, Hendricks didn’t look as bad as the pitcher who was shelled in his first four outings, walking none for the second time in his last three starts. During Miami’s decisive three-run fourth, Hendricks was victimized by some bad luck when two of the Marlins’ hits had exit velocities under 80 mph, leading to the Marlins’ 6-3 win.
But Hendricks also didn’t look like his vintage self, and more like somebody still trying to figure things out. The 460-foot home run he gave up in the second inning to Miami’s Jesus Sanchez came on a first-pitch center-cut 88 mph fastball, while the Marlins’ plate appearances were sharper and more aggressive the second time they saw Hendricks.
That added up to another brief outing for Hendricks, whose ERA fell to 12.00. In five starts, he’s only made it through five innings once, and he had no issue with manager Craig Counsell removing him before the fifth.
“I want to go as deep in the game as possible, but when you’re not getting the results, giving up runs … ,” Hendricks said. “That’s a game we had to get. Nothing on that decision there. I’ve got to be better and prove it to get those opportunities.”
Hendricks making longer outings would make things easier for Counsell.
The Cubs bullpen has been in flux as Adbert Alzolay has struggled to finish games and squandered his ninth-inning spot. They’ve also lost dependable righty Julian Merryweather to a rib stress fracture and have had to compensate for the absences of starters Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon.
In 22 games this year, Cubs relievers have thrown 94 2/3 innings, the second-highest total in baseball entering Monday. Knowing that, Sunday would’ve been a good day for Hendricks to go deeper into the game. The Cubs were coming off a Saturday doubleheader when relievers threw 8 1/3 innings over the two games.
Instead, 56 pitches and two times through the Marlins’ batting order was all Counsell got from Hendricks, requiring five more innings from the bullpen. Counsell said with an off-day coming Monday before the start of their series Tuesday with the Astros, the Cubs had some “wiggle room” to use the bullpen more. Miami’s lineup with two lefties in their first three hitters due up in the fifth was also a factor.
Regardless of the reasoning, Counsell knows the Cubs rotation needs to go longer into games. Hendricks is just a part of that.
“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.”
Hendricks is working to once again be a productive part of the rotation. He wants to get past the struggles, continue to focus on being aggressive and keep it simple.
Something else he’s working on is not letting himself get frustrated. He conceded it’s not always easy.
“That’s just human nature. When you’re out there, you really can’t have those human emotions. It’s just [the] task at hand, lock in, executing on the glove. Those are thoughts I have to have the whole time when I’m out there. [Sunday] was much better on that path.”
ASTROS AT CUBS
Tuesday: J.P. France (0-2, 7.08 ERA) vs. Jordan Wicks (0-2, 5.29), 6:40 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM
Wednesday: Spencer Arrighetti (0-2, 11.57) vs. Jameson Taillon (1-0, 1.80), 6:40 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM
Thursday: Justin Verlander (1-0, 3.00) vs. Javier Assad (2-0, 2.11), 1:20 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM