Kyle Hendricks usually takes a few months off after a season before fetching a baseball. However, there was nothing typical about last year, and the Cubs’ leader’s rotation changed his off-season schedule.
With fewer miles on his arm during the shortened 2020 season, Hendricks rested just a few weeks before throwing again every few days. No one really knows yet the toll the secluded campaign could have on the pitcher arms this season, but Hendricks feels well positioned to return to normal in 162 games.
“I think I’m ready to tackle a full load again,” Hendricks said Wednesday via Zoom. “I know what it’s like to go through a full season so I can rely on the experience.”
Hendricks may be aiming for a normal workload this season, but manager David Ross has said he and pitcher coach Tommy Hottovy will proceed with caution.
“We have to be careful about that,” Ross said. “I think Kyle is a man who stays in good condition; he is very durable and we rely on the innings he can give us. But we are going to be smart. We are going to take the feedback from the player. The performance ‘is important to a lot of these guys. And then the information will also give us information over the course of the season.’
The back of Hendricks’ baseball card shows an ERA of 2.88 in 81 1/3 overs last season, which is the third most innings in the Majors. It does not include a turn recorded by the right hand during the closing period or in the summer camp.
All in all, Hottovy estimates the off-season that Hendricks ‘innings was “closer to 120” for 2020. Looking at Hendricks’ career, he recorded 139 2/3 innings in 17 and had no problem getting to ’18 in ’18. 199 frames to jump. In 2016 and ’18, the rightful took 200 innings if you include the post-season.
Right now, Hendricks plans to be the number one starter for the Cubs, with Jake Arrieta and Zach Davies behind him. Weapons like Trevor Williams, Alec Mills, Adbert Alzolay and Kohl Stewart will also do work. There are question marks at every pitcher, so Hendricks wants to be a source of stability.
“I just want to be there,” Hendricks said. “Be that constant force for these guys, take the ball every fifth day and they know what they can get out of me.”
And while Ross plans to be careful with Hendricks’ workload, the manager also knows what to expect.
“He threw a full game on opening day last year,” Ross said. “So, I have a lot of confidence in Kyle.”
Hughes, Mowins and Myers join Marquee team
Marquee Sports Network announced on Wednesday that Pat Hughes, Beth Mowins and Chris Myers will help cover Cubs games during the 2021 season. The trio will help fill in when Jon “Boog” Sciambi is out of the television box.
When Mowins mentions her first game, she becomes the first female announcer for the Cubs in team history. She has been a broadcaster for ESPN since 1994 and mentions mostly men’s and women’s sports colleges.
“It is an honor and a privilege to work with such a beloved and historic franchise as the Chicago Cubs,” Mowins said in a statement. “I’m delighted to be part of the team at Marquee Sports Network and look forward to working with some of the best in the season.”
Hughes, who is the longtime radio play-for-play voice for the Cubs on 670 The Score, is entering his 26th season to name games for the ball club. Myers has been a broadcaster at FOX Sports for over 30 years, presenting the program “Chris and Tell” on Marquee.
Remarkable
• Ross noted on Wednesday that the interim injury reliever that Rowan Wick is dealing with is related to the left-back setback that ended his season in September. There is no timetable for Wick’s return when the camp opens.
“It felt better and then he started throwing. It’s just a little uncomfortable,” Ross said. “There’s just literally no reason to rush anything at the moment, and we want the man to be healthy.”
• Marquee Sports Network plans to broadcast all 14 of the Cubs’ spring practice games at Sloan Park in Arizona. Chicago begins its Cactus League lead on March 1 against the Padres on the road and opens on March 2 at home against Kansas City.
Quotable
“As a fan you fall in love with players. But there is also opportunity in the absence of big players who move on. There is opportunity for the next household name, the next guy up, the next man who puts his stamp on the Cubs and the organization and “I do not know who that man is. We have ideas about who those big players may be, but they have to go out and prove it, and I find that exciting.” – Ross