<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cubs-news-kyle-hendricks-strategy-2023-mlb-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kyle Hendricks breaks silence on Cubs’ strategy ahead of 2023 MLB trade deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Screen-Shot-2023-07-18-at-10.29.55-AM.png"></figure><h1>Kyle Hendricks breaks silence on Cubs’ strategy ahead of 2023 MLB trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-07-18T07:37:49-07:00">July 18th, 7:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-07-18T07:37:49-07:00">July 18th, 7:37am</time><address><a>Andrew Meyers</a>Andrew Meyers is an avid sports fan with a fondness for Philadelphia teams that rarely love him back. He has two degrees from Quinnipiac University, including a master's in sports journalism. Outside of ClutchPoints, Meyers does play-by-play broadcasting for various colleges in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kyle Hendricks’ days with the Chicago Cubs may be numbered, but the team has <a href="https://theathletic.com/4698419/2023/07/17/cubs-kyle-hendricks-trade-deadline/" rel="noopener">not given an indication</a> of whether they will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb-rumors-cubs-trade-deadline-strategy-eye-opening-update" rel="noopener">two weeks until the deadline,</a> the Cubs are 8 1/2 games out of first place in the NL Central, a figure that may be too tall to overcome.</p><p>Hendricks, who’s spent his entire 10-year MLB career with the Cubs, has made it clear he wants to stay in Chicago. He has a $16 million team option for 2024, one the Cubs will likely take if they hang onto him past Aug. 1.</p><p>“I have so much respect for them,” Hendricks said, via Patrick Mooney. “I’ve appreciated all the respect they’ve shown me, and all the leeway and all the opportunities they’ve given me. The narrative’s out there. They know where we’re all at. And I know where the team’s at. At the end of the day, it is what it is. It’s business.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-kyle-hendricks-return-injury" rel="noopener">Hendricks has been rather good for the Cubs</a> this season. In 10 starts he has a 3.57 ERA with five quality starts. He’s allowed nine runs across his last two starts.</p><p>Chicago will be expected to contend for the playoffs again next season and more pressure will be on the Cubs if they miss out on the postseason in 2023. Having Kyle Hendricks around in the clubhouse and in the rotation will help the Cubs a ton in 2024. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-marcus-stroman-trade-rumors-cody-bellinger-himself" rel="noopener">Trading him away</a> may net the team a few assets, but keeping him around for at least another season could be more valuable to the team than anything they’d get in return.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kyle Hendricks breaks silence on Cubs’ strategy ahead of 2023 MLB trade deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cubs-news-the-shocking-secret-behind-kyle-hendricks-resurgence');   ga('set', 'title', 'The shocking secret behind Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks’ resurgence');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Cubs-news-The-shocking-secret-behind-Kyle-Hendricks_-resurgence.jpeg"></figure><h1>The shocking secret behind Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks’ resurgence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-06-18T08:00:50-07:00">June 18th, 8:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-06-18T08:00:50-07:00">June 18th, 8:00am</time><address><a>R.P. Salao</a>ClutchPoints Senior Editor for NBA and NFL coverage. You can also find my work on SB Nation's Washington Wizards site, Bullets Forever.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Is it 2016 all over again? The Chicago Cubs aren’t exactly poised to win another World Series as things stand, but Kyle Hendricks has been playing like his prime self of late.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-kyle-hendricks-return-injury" rel="noopener">Hendricks has played in five games</a> since coming back from nearly a year away from the mound after suffering a shoulder injury in July of 2022. After three so-so starts to begin his 2023 season wherein he gave up six hits in each with a 4.70 ERA, he’s been lights out in his last two contests. He’s given up just six hits combined over the last two starts, going 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2023/06/18/phillies-june-winning-trea-turner-boos/70333575007/" rel="noopener">“secret” to his success</a> of late? Marching to his own beat, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.</p><p><i>“The secret to Kyle Hendricks’ recent success is that he informed the Cubs that he’s going to pitch his own style, calling his own pitches, and not change his ways just to fit into an algorithm.”</i></p><p>Whether he can turn a scorching two-game stretch into sustained success remains to be seen. But it’s looked promising for the Cubs’ longest-tenured player on their roster.</p><p>Kyle Hendricks has been with Chicago for a full decade, starting his MLB career with the Cubs in 2014 and has yet to relocate since. He’s never been in the running for best pitcher in baseball, but he’s had a couple of stand-out campaigns that garnered him a few Cy Young votes over the years.</p><p>After back-to-back years of posting career-worst ERAs in 2021 and 2022, the only two campaigns wherein he held an ERA over 4.00, Kyle Hendricks has looked like the dependable starter Cubs fans have grown familiar with thus far.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The shocking secret behind Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks’ resurgence

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cubs-news-kyle-hendricks-return-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks gets real about ‘emotional’ return from injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cubs-news-kyle-hendricks-gets-real-about-emotional-return-from-injury.jpeg"></figure><h1>Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks gets real about ‘emotional’ return from injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-05-26T08:04:52-07:00">May 26th, 8:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-05-26T08:04:52-07:00">May 26th, 8:04am</time><address><a>Andrew Meyers</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, the last remaining member of the 2016 World Series team, made his 2023 season debut at Wrigley Field Wednesday night.</p><p>Hendricks’ 2022 season was cut short in July due to a tear in his shoulder. He said he was <a href="https://theathletic.com/4554140/2023/05/26/cubs-kyle-hendricks-mets-return/?source=emp_shared_article" rel="noopener">looking forward to this moment.</a> It was his first start at home since June 30 of last year.</p><p>“There was a lot of buildup to that one, obviously,” Hendricks said. “Kind of an emotional day with everything building up to it. But at the end of the day, just getting to this point and getting back out there was No. 1, huge.”</p><p>Hendricks was pulled in the fifth inning after allowing six runs, three of them earned, on six hits. He struck out five batters and walked two. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-marcus-stroman-new-york-player-taunting" rel="noopener">Cubs lost to the New York Mets</a> 10-1.</p><p>Hendricks was once among the best starting pitchers in baseball, posting a 3.12 ERA in 175 appearances from 2014-2020. That stretch included two top-10 finishes in NL Cy Young Award voting.</p><p>The past two seasons did not go as swimmingly for Hendricks. In 48 starts, Hendricks had a 4.78 ERA in 2021-2022. He allowed the most hits in the league in 2021.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-chicago-decisions-kyle-hendricks-former-white-sox-prospect" rel="noopener">Kyle Hendricks is in</a> the final year of a four-year deal with the Cubs with a $16 million club option for 2024. It’s hard to see a world in which the Cubs pick up that option if Hendricks continues to pitch the way he has recently. Add in the improved depth the Cubs have added to their pitching staff and Hendricks’ days as a Cub could be numbered.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks gets real about ‘emotional’ return from injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cubs-news-chicago-decisions-kyle-hendricks-former-white-sox-prospect');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs make massive decisions on Kyle Hendricks, former White Sox top prospect');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Cubs-news-Chicago-makes-massive-decisions-on-Kyle-Hendricks-former-White-Sox-top-prospect-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Cubs make massive decisions on Kyle Hendricks, former White Sox top prospect</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-05-25T14:03:13-07:00">May 25th, 2:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-05-25T14:05:37-07:00">May 25th, 2:05pm</time><address><a href="https://joeymistretta.wordpress.com">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a sports writer/editor who covers multiple sports. Notably, Mistretta covers baseball, basketball, and football. He is originally from a small town in Southern California. Mistretta graduated college with a degree in broadcast journalism from Biola University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs <a href="https://twitter.com/Taylor_McGregor/status/1661824934346104834" rel="noopener">reportedly reinstated</a> SP Kyle Hendricks from the IL and optioned 2B Nick Madrigal to Triple-A Iowa, per Taylor McGregor.</p><p>Hendricks is a key pitcher for Chicago and will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-marcus-stroman-new-york-player-taunting" rel="noopener">pitch against</a> the New York Mets on Thursday. The veteran is looking to return and help Chicago climb over the .500 mark. Meanwhile, Madrigal’s demotion is fairly surprising given his potential, but his struggles in 2023 have been apparent.</p><h2><b>Kyle Hendricks’ return to Cubs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Cubs-news-Chicago-makes-massive-decisions-on-Kyle-Hendricks-former-White-Sox-top-prospect-2.jpg"></figure><p>“There’s a lot of confidence when he steps foot on the bump and is healthy,” Cubs manager David Ross <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1661748968949452800" rel="noopener">said</a> of Hendricks, per Marquee Sports Network.</p><p>Hendricks was one of the Cubs’ best pitchers during the mid-late 2010’s decade, even leading the league in ERA during the Cubs’ magical World Series-winning 2016 campaign. Chicago wouldn’t have enjoyed the season they did had Hendricks not been in the rotation.</p><p>Fast-forward to 2023, and Hendricks is coming off a pair of forgettable seasons. He posted a 4.77 ERA in 2021 and 4.80 ERA in 2022. Injuries have been problematic at times, but Hendricks simply hasn’t looked like the same pitcher on the mound in recent seasons. Perhaps he can turn it around in 2023 for Chicago.</p><p>It will be intriguing to see how the veteran right-hander fares in his return on Thursday.</p><h2><b>Nick Madrigal: What does the future hold?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Cubs-news-Chicago-makes-massive-decisions-on-Kyle-Hendricks-former-White-Sox-top-prospect-3.jpg"></figure><p>Christopher Morel is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-christopher-morel-absurd-sammy-sosa-feat" rel="noopener">stealing headlines</a> in Chicago with his inspiring play as of late. When the Cubs acquired Nick Madrigal (and Codi Heuer) from the Chicago White Sox for Craig Kimbrel in 2021, they envisioned Madrigal being the one to emerge as a star. Instead, his performance has been mediocre at best since arriving at Wrigley Field.</p><p>And now, he’s getting demoted to the minor leagues</p><p>In 2022, his first season with the Cubs, he hit just .249 with a .588 OPS. Batting average doesn’t receive as much attention in today’s game but it is important for a player like Madrigal. He doesn’t offer much power at all, so hitting for average is crucial for him. Getting on-base is also important, and he posted just a .305 OBP in 2022.</p><p>So far in 2023, Madrigal owns an underwhelming .247/.286/.301 slash line with a .587 OPS. He also has no home runs this year and just two total career homers.</p><p>He’s still just 26-years old, so there’s time for him to figure things out. Right now, Madrigal’s future is in question and one has to wonder if the Cubs will consider shopping him ahead of the July trade deadline.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs make massive decisions on Kyle Hendricks, former White Sox top prospect

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs star Kyle Hendricks gets worrying injury update after MRI');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cubs-news-kyle-hendricks-gets-worrying-injury-update-after-mri.jpeg"></figure><h1>Cubs star Kyle Hendricks gets worrying injury update after MRI</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2022-08-09T16:40:15-07:00">August 9th, 4:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2022-08-09T16:40:42-07:00">August 9th, 4:40pm</time><address><a>Karl Rasmussen</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs recently <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cubs-news-chicago-makes-shocking-decision-on-jason-heyward/">informed Jason Heyward</a> that he’s no longer part of their plans going forward, and it may be time for the team to make a similar decision regarding another injured veteran. Kyle Hendricks has been sidelined since early July with a shoulder issue, and the results from a recent MRI don’t bode well for the veteran right-hander returning to the mound in 2022. According to manager David Ross, <a href="https://twitter.com/PJ_Mooney/status/1557144368137605132">via Patrick Mooney</a>, Hendricks underwent an MRI on his shoulder which revealed lingering inflammation.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cubs manager David Ross acknowledged it’s unclear if Kyle Hendricks will pitch again this season after an MRI showed lingering inflammation in his right shoulder. Hendricks will take at least another week of rest before the team reassesses the situation.</p><p>— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) <a href="https://twitter.com/PJ_Mooney/status/1557144368137605132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2022</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The plan is for the Cubs to shut Hendricks down for another week while he rests his arm before undergoing further testing to determine the next steps. Considering where the Cubs sit in the standings, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team opted to shut Hendricks down for the season.</p><p>Hendricks is in the second year of a four-year, $55 million contract with the Cubs. He’s due to earn $14 million this year and in 2023, and will collect $16 million in 2024, the final year of his contract. Hendricks is set to hit free agency after the 2024 season, at which point he’ll be 34 years old.</p><p>In 2022, Hendricks has made 16 starts for the Cubs. He posted a 4-6 record with a 4.80 ERA across 84.1 innings, striking out 66 batters during that span. His 4.80 ERA was the worst of his career, but was right on line with the 4.77 mark he posted last season. Prior to 2021, Hendricks had never recorded an ERA above 3.95, which he logged in 2015.</p><p>The Cubs continue to look to promote the youth movement in Chicago, and with Hendricks’ shoulder continuing to cause issues, there’s a good chance that the right-hander gets shut down for the year. We’ll know more next week after he undergoes further testing on his shoulder, but for now, the outlook feels bleak.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
56	2.41	16	1.07	2

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
56	2.41	16	1.07	2

Kyle Hendricks

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