Chicago Cubs fans optimistic as former staff ace Kyle Hendricks nears return, set to begin rehab stint at Triple-A: "Our last 2016 guy to root for"
Former Chicago Cubs staff ace Kyle Hendricks is taking a step closer to pitching at Wrigley Field as he will fly to Triple-A Iowa to begin a rehab stint on Thursday.
The team confirmed the move, with Hendricks scheduled to take the mound against the Louisville Bats, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
Hendricks, the last remaining member of the Cubs' 2016 World Series championship team, has not pitched in the majors since July 5, 2022, due to a shoulder injury.
Sources confirm Chicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks will fly to Iowa today and start on Thursday. With no hiccups ,he will be ready by mid May to return to the Cubs rotation. Hendricks last pitched in July of 2022. ( Capsular tear in right shoulder)
The move comes after Kyle Hendricks successfully completed a three-inning simulated game in Arizona over the weekend. He reportedly hit 90 mph on the radar gun and reported no ill effects. If all goes well in his rehab stint in Des Moines, he is reportedly on track to re-join the Chicago Cubs in mid-May.
@MLBBruceLevine Our last 2016 guy to root for. Hope he comes back healthy and deals the rest of the season. Most likely his last as a Cub.
🏼@BleacherNation Please god let him still be good at baseball 🙏🏼
@BleacherNation How about getting a pitcher with Playoff and World Series experience and a lifetime 3.46 ERA?
Chicago Cubs fans will forever have a soft spot in their hearts for Kyle Hendricks, or "The Professor" as he is known for his understated scholarly look.
He debuted with the Cubs in 2014, going 7-2 with a 2.46 ERA in 13 starts. Two seasons later, he led MLB with a 2.13 ERA and was the co-ace of a Chicago starting rotation that helped win the team's first World Series in 108 years.
@BleacherNation Our professor is back
@ChicagoCubsHQ I sure hope he gets good results from this test! I'd love to see him back after the All Star Break!
@corey_cubs Hendricks will always be loved by true cub fans. We know what he meant to the team and the ring
Hendricks continued in his co-ace role with Jon Lester through the 2020 season, when Lester left to pitch for the Washington Nationals and Cubs rival St. Louis Cardinals for his final big-league season in 2021.
As Chicago's star began to fade and the organization traded off many of the stars of the 2016 team, Hendricks remained a constant, though his MLB stats too began to become more and more pedestrian.
After posting ERAs in the high 4's in 2021 and 2022, some fans are wondering where Hendricks will fit in to the 2023 Cubs rotation.
@BleacherNation Just wondering, what’s realistically going to happen once he’s healthy?
@BleacherNation we need the real professor back….hayden is just not cutting it with his 3 inning stints….
@BleacherNation When Kyle comes back, who gets bumped from the rotation or do they go with a 6 man?
Kyle Hendricks definitely has his fans. He has quietly put together a very solid major league career. Over nine seasons, he went 87-61 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.29 WHIP.
However, he has not won any personal awards. The closest he came to winning a Cy Young Award was in 2016, when he finished third. He has also never appeared in an All-Star Game.
Do you think #KyleHendricks is HOF material? I say yes because of WS and NLCS heroics. He's pitched big games and hopefully continues to do so. #chicagocubs #mlb
Chicago Cubs hope to welcome Kyle Hendricks back to Wrigley Field as soon as possible
The Chicago Cubs are holding fast in the middle of the National League Central race, three games behind the stunning Pittsburgh Pirates and sitting in third place with a 12-9 record entering Tuesday.
However, with Jameson Taillon on the injured list and Hayden Wesneski struggling, the Cubs find themselves short on starting pitching. Kyle Hendricks can't return soon enough.