Cubs optimistic about Kyle Hendricks, MRI results
The news wasn’t great, but it wasn’t as bad as it could be, either.
After testing, MRI results showed that Kyle Hendricks is dealing with an impingement in his right shoulder. The starter was placed on the 10-day injured list last Saturday, following a nauseating Friday night start in which he gave up five runs in just 4 1/3 innings. In his previous eight starts, Hendricks was 6–0 with a 1.99 ERA, making the 5–3 loss to the Dodgers Friday night that much more heartbreaking.
According to Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer, the front office is going to take it slow with Hendricks and take into account the length of the remaining season.
“We know how impactful he is when he’s right and we want to get him right and if that means patience, we’ll exercise patience,” Hoyer told reporters before Tuesday’s crosstown game with the Chicago White Sox.
What exactly is impingement?
Basically, it’s exactly what the Cubs thought it was: shoulder pain. Without getting too technical, Hendricks is essentially dealing with shoulder pain located in his rotator cuff. The group of muscles that attach the shoulder to the upper arm bone become inflamed and the best cure is rest. Thankfully, the Cubs appear to be optimistic that they caught it early and will continue to monitor Hendricks the rest of the season.
“We’re not sure how much time he’ll miss,” Hoyer said. “But we’ll try to take it slowly.”
Hendricks was expected to make the start against the New York Mets on Thursday, June 20. Tyler Chatwood has been called on to step in instead. You can catch that game on WGN or the MLB Network, starting at 8:05 p.m.
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Jennifer Brugh is a freelance writer, content creator and social media specialist with a Masters in sports journalism. Born and raised in northern Indiana, Jennifer enjoys following the Chicago Cubs through all the ups and downs. She low-key wants to live in a van and travel South America. You can follow her on Twitter here.
