Cubs Place Kyle Hendricks on IL with Shoulder Strain
Kyle Hendricks exited Tuesday’s start after 69 pitches, which should have been nice, but it was clear during the outing that he and the team knew something wasn’t quite right from the get-go. He had to convince David Ross that he was fine during an early mound visit and said afterwards that it felt like the same issue that had forced him to skip a turn in the first half of June.
Even if additional tests reveal no structural issues, there’s no sense in playing a man down again for nearly two weeks.
Kyle Hendricks on leaving tonight's game early. pic.twitter.com/i2f99CYH8y
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 6, 2022
We’ll update this with news on the corresponding move and any official diagnosis or potential recovery timeline. What we know for sure is that the Cubs are running out of options or are at least losing lots of value on players they’d hoped to trade. That’s why they might be looking to aggressively shop Ian Happ over the next few weeks.
Update: Anderson Espinoza has been recalled from Double-A Tennessee to take the open roster spot. The 24-year-old righty has made one appearance for the Cubs this season, pitching four innings and striking out six batters with three walks. Mainly a fastball/slider pitcher, Espinoza will probably be used in a swing or long-relief role and could very well go back down following his next outing so the Cubs can stream fresh arms.