Hendricks (shoulder) revealed Wednesday that he will throw three more bullpen sessions before progressing to the live batting practice session phase of his schedule, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Hendricks added that he feels like he's in regular spring training mode now rather than rehabbing. Since the veteran right-hander will begin facing hitters right around Opening Day, that would seem to put him in line for a rehab assignment not long after that. He's got a ways to go as he works his way back from last season's shoulder strain, but perhaps he'll be ready to rejoin the Cubs' rotation sometime in May.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Throws bullpen Friday
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Hendricks (shoulder) completed a 30-pitch bullpen Friday at Sloan Park, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports reports.
"It was just a regular pen, they just let me throw," Hendricks said. "Got my work in; finally got some pitches out of the stretch. Got that aspect going." The next step for Hendricks will be more bullpens, as it's been reported that the right-hander will not make a Cactus League start, meaning he'll assuredly open the season on the injured list due to his right shoulder troubles. How long that stay on the IL will be might be decided in part by how he looks during these bullpen sessions in Arizona.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Not expected to appear this spring
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Hendricks (shoulder) is not expected to make any appearances this Cactus League, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
Hendricks is doing well, though, having completed the first of 10 bullpen sessions the Cubs have planned as the pitcher makes his way back from last year's shoulder issues. He'll progress to live batting practice and then extended spring training games before heading out on a rehab assignment. The team hasn't offered a specific timetable for Hendricks' return to the big-league rotation, but he seems likely to miss at least the first month or so and perhaps more.
Hendricks (shoulder) threw a light bullpen session Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
It only lasted 10 pitches and wasn't at full effort, but Hendricks felt good during and after the mound workout. It was his first time stepping on the bump since he suffered a capsular tear in his right shoulder last summer. The veteran starter is not expected to be ready for the beginning of the 2023 regular season, but the hope is that his initial IL stint will be a relatively short one.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Scheduled to throw Friday
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Hendricks (shoulder) will throw a light bullpen session Friday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Hendricks' timeline remains unclear, and his upcoming bullpen was described as "touch-and-feel," but it's nonetheless a positive to see him advancing in his throwing progression. He's a month behind schedule, though he's about five days ahead of reports from mid-January, which held that he was targeting March 1 for his return to mound work. It's likely Hendricks misses the start of the season, but a move to the 60-day injured list doesn't seem to be planned as of yet.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Likely to miss start of season
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Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters Wednesday that Hendricks (shoulder) is likely to miss the start of the season, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
While the club is preparing for Hendricks to miss the start of the season, Hoyer notes that the team isn't ready to place the right-hander on the 60-day injured list at this point. Although the 33-year-old is obviously behind in his program, it is expected that he will be able to start throwing off the mound soon as he recovers from the capsular tear that sidelined him for the second half of the 2022 campaign. Hendricks wasn't particularly effective in his time with the Cubs last season while posting a 4.80 ERA in 84.1 innings, and there's more risk than reward in his fantasy potential at this stage in his career.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Behind schedule but feels good
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Hendricks' shoulder, which he strained last July, feels "amazing," but he's not expected to throw off a mound until March 1, leaving his availability for Opening Day up in the air, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Hendricks struggled to a 4.80 ERA in 16 starts before suffering the injury, which was eventually revealed to be a capsular tear. He's been working his way back without undergoing surgery, but he's nonetheless behind his usual preseason schedule. Still, it's a positive that he's feeling good, and it looks as though he has a shot at making any potential trip to the injured list a brief one.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Healing, but not yet throwing
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Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Monday that Hendricks hasn't started a throwing program, but the right-hander is feeling good as he recovers from a capsular tear in his shoulder, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
According to Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, Hendricks has been in "constant communication" with the Cubs since being shut down in August after he was diagnosed with the injury. The 32-year-old is expected to train at the Cubs' complex in Arizona throughout the offseason and will continue to perform strengthening exercises until he's cleared to start throwing again. Even though the Cubs have a number of young starters who appear ready for extended looks at the big-league level in 2023, a healthy Hendricks will be penciled in for a rotation spot, even after a down season in which he posted a 4.80 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 84.1 innings before the injury surfaced.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Moves to 60-day IL
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Hendricks (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Hendricks' move to the 60-day IL isn't surprising since the Cubs announced Monday that he won't return to the field this season. The right-hander isn't expected to need surgery and is on track to resume strengthening work in a few weeks, so it seems likely that he'll be ready to go in time for spring training in 2023.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Done for season with capsular tear
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Hendricks disclosed Monday that he's recovering from a capsular tear in his right shoulder and won't return from the 15-day injured this season, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Hendricks wasn't believed to be dealing with any structural damage in his shoulder after being diagnosed with a strain in early July, but he apparently did suffer a tear that "stems from a chronic issue, rather than happening on one pitch," according to Montemurro. The veteran right-hander isn't expected to need surgery to recover from the injury, and he will report to the Cubs' spring training facility in Arizona to get in some strengthening work in over the next 2-to-4 weeks. Since his focus at this stage is getting healthy for spring training, the non-contending Cubs won't push him to make a late-season return from the IL.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Could be done for 2022
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Hendricks (shoulder) said Sunday that he'll move his rehab to the Cubs' spring training facility in Arizona this week to build up his throwing, but the right-hander noted his main focus at this stage in the season is to get ready for 2023, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Though Hendricks didn't rule himself out for the season while he continues to recover from a strained right shoulder, his comments implied that he won't be pushing for a return as the 52-68 Cubs play out the string over the next six and a half weeks. Before the Cubs provide a more definitive stance on Hendricks' potential return in 2022, the team will likely wait and see how he responds to throwing bullpen sessions and facing hitters in Arizona over the next few weeks. Given the strong likelihood that Hendricks will be shut down or make only a couple late-season starts if he does get activated from the 15-day injured list at some point, fantasy managers still holding him in redraft leagues can probably feel comfortable cutting bait at this point.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Ready to resume throwing
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Hendricks (shoulder) has been cleared to resume throwing, according to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune.
After undergoing several MRIs and resting for more than a month, Hendricks was finally given the green light to pick up a baseball. It's unclear how long it will take Hendricks to get back to 100 percent, but with the Cubs out of the playoff chase, expect them to proceed with caution.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Will rest for another week
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Hendricks is still experiencing inflammation in his right shoulder and will rest for another week, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.
Manager David Ross said the MRI that Hendricks underwent Monday showed improvement, but the pitcher isn't ready to resume baseball activities just yet. He will be re-evaluated again at some point next week.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Undergoes MRI on Monday
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Hendricks underwent an MRI on his injured shoulder Monday, Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Hendricks has been shut down since landing on the injured list in early July, and he was sent for another check-up Monday. The results of the exam will determine whether or not Hendricks has any chance to return before the season comes to a close.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Facing shutdown
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Hendricks (shoulder) will be shut down for at least 2-to-3 weeks before he's cleared to play catch, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Hendricks has been on the injured list for a week due to a right shoulder strain, and he recently underwent an MRI that didn't reveal any structural damage. However, the right-hander will require more than the minimum of 15 days on the shelf since he won't be able to resume throwing until at least late July. A better timetable for Hendricks' return is unlikely to be revealed until he begins a throwing program.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: No structural damage
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Hendricks underwent an MRI on his right shoulder Thursday that revealed no structural damage, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
This news eliminates the possibility of surgery to correct the shoulder issue, which likely would have sidelined Hendricks for the rest of the season. There's no timetable for his return, though the team expects to update Hendicks' status once it finishes the weekend series in Los Angeles.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Goes on IL with shoulder strain
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Cubs manager David Ross said Hendricks will be placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a right shoulder strain, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Hendricks will miss his final two turns through the rotation before the All-Star break after sustaining the injury in Tuesday's win over the Brewers, but he'll be eligible to come off the IL when the Cubs open their second-half schedule July 22 in Philadelphia. It's not yet clear if the veteran right-hander will be ready to go by then, as his availability coming out of the All-Star break will hinge on how much progress he makes in his rehab and throwing program over the next two weeks. He previously avoided the IL last June but still went 13 days between starts after experiencing shoulder fatigue, so it's possible the Cubs take a more conservative approach with his recovery this time around. Hendricks joins five other starting pitchers on the IL, though both Marcus Stroman (shoulder) and Drew Smyly (oblique) appear close to being activated, and either of the two could be an option to replace Hendricks' next turn in the rotation Sunday in Los Angeles.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Leaves with shoulder soreness
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Hendricks was removed from Tuesday's start at Milwaukee due to right shoulder soreness, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
The veteran right-hander took some extra time between starts in early June due to shoulder fatigue, and it appears the issue resurfaced during Tuesday's outing. Hendricks lasted three innings before making his exit and gave up two runs on two hits with four strikeouts and two walks. According to Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago, Hendricks is scheduled to undergo an MRI, though the injury isn't believed to be serious.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Sleeper pitchers for Week 14 (July 4-10)
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Three of Hendricks' past four starts have been strong and one has been a disaster, which kind of sums his past two seasons. When things go wrong for him, they go really wrong, and seeing as one of his two matchups this week is the Dodgers, the chance for disaster is heightened. Still, if you're a sucker for volume, you might be tempted to try it.
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Cubs' Kyle Hendricks: Cruises to win Thursday
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Hendricks (4-6) earned the win over Cincinnati on Thursday, pitching six innings and allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out seven.
The Cubs built an early lead that ballooned to seven runs through three innings, so Hendricks faced little stress in earning his fourth victory. Still, the veteran was more deceptive than usual, notching 15 swinging strikes and a tying a season high with seven punchouts. Hendricks has had his share of poor performances this season, but he's registered consecutive quality starts during which he's allowed just two runs while striking out 13 across 13.2 innings.
