Kyle Hendricks’ downfall is the awkward part of this good start for the Cubs (2024)

In the best of times, Kyle Hendricks had little margin for error. The Chicago Cubs pitcher created a safety net with his diligent preparation, pinpoint command and unwavering composure. That combination guided him through some of the biggest moments in franchise history, making him a revered teammate and leader by example. The memories also make it harder to watch when it seems to be unraveling.

There’s no way to sugarcoat Hendricks’ performance in this late stage of his career. Noncompetitive is a harsh assessment of a pitcher who’s delivered for so many years, poured so much effort into his craft and always represented the organization with class. But the numbers don’t lie.

Hendricks has allowed 24 runs through 17 innings this year. He has yet to record an out beyond the fifth inning. He’s faced some good lineups thus far, but those teams have sized him up and cumulatively produced at rates that echo the career numbers of Ty Cobb, Ted Williams and Babe Ruth.

Hendricks has faced 88 batters and watched opponents hit .388, get on base 44 percent of the time and generate a 1.181 OPS. A pitcher known for working fast and throwing strikes has pieced together only six 1-2-3 innings through four starts. The Cubs lost three of those games and needed the bullpen to cover five innings during the only win. This is simply unsustainable.

Now take a deep breath. Hendricks traditionally starts slower in the season’s opening month before he finds a rhythm and locks in his mechanics. The matchups should get better for Hendricks, who’s already faced the two teams from last year’s World Series — the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks — plus a Los Angeles Dodgers club with a $300 million payroll and a San Diego Padres lineup that still features Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado.

Hendricks has a Dartmouth degree and a long track record of figuring things out. His fastball velocity is in the bottom 1 percent of the majors, according to Statcast, but 87.9 mph is in line with some of his best years. It represents an improvement the Cubs wanted to see when they shut him down in the second half of the 2022 season, beginning a comprehensive program to recharge his strength and athleticism.

That comeback from a capsular tear in his right shoulder seemed more daunting. And Hendricks pitched so well last year (3.74 ERA in 24 starts) that picking up the $16.5 million club option in his contract became an obvious decision, even as he entered his age-34 season. As long as he’s healthy, the Cubs should give him some time and space to fix this.

What gnaws at Hendricks is the feeling that he’s letting his teammates down. The last player standing from the 2016 World Series team desperately wants to be part of the next group. He saw the possibilities in spring training and said: “We’re going to make a really good run with this team and start winning games in October again.”

Internally, the Cubs aren’t a sentimental operation. But the unemotional view is that their pitchers will keep getting injured. Jameson Taillon went down in spring training before he could throw in a Cactus League game. Justin Steele didn’t make it all the way through the fifth inning of his Opening Day start. Writing off Hendricks in the middle of April would be shortsighted and counterproductive.

The Cubs entered Wednesday’s 5-3 win over the Diamondbacks near the bottom of the majors with only three quality starts through 17 games — even the Chicago White Sox already had four quality starts from their low-budget rotation. But it’s a good sign that the Cubs now have an 11-7 record while dealing with injuries, a difficult schedule and inconsistencies in all phases of the game. That resourcefulness can buy more time. The Cubs don’t need to panic and overreact.

Jed Hoyer’s baseball operations department has turned around a pitching program that now produces legitimate starters and relievers with stuff. Craig Counsell manages the team with an even-keeled personality and a big-picture perspective. This situation still has the potential to get awkward and uncomfortable.

“You get to a point where results just need to happen,” Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said on 670 The Score, the team’s flagship radio station. “Kyle knows that and he feels that. But it’s not going to change his approach. He’s going to continue to work and be the steady guy that he is. And that’s what you appreciate with guys that will do this. We know he’s going to come out of it.”

Until then, there will be more moments of trying to mask the frustrations. Marquee Sports Network analyst Jim Deshaies, a longtime major-league pitcher, noticed it during Tuesday’s broadcast of a 12-11 loss to the Diamondbacks. The camera found Hendricks after he was pulled with one out in the fifth inning and the bases loaded.

“That’s a bad feeling,” Deshaies said. “I’ve been there. You have no answers. You have to wait five days between starts. And then it goes south on you. You’re just left alone in the dugout, trying to figure out: ‘What on Earth can I do to get this thing turned around?’”

(Top photo of Hendricks: Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

Patrick Mooney is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. He spent eight seasons covering the Cubs across multiple platforms for NBC Sports Chicago/Comcast SportsNet, beginning in 2010. He has been a frequent contributor to MLB Network, Baseball America, MLB.com and the Chicago Sun-Times News Group. Follow Patrick on Twitter @PJ_Mooney