Cubs’ Hendricks to miss rest of season with shoulder issue
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 05: Kyle Hendricks #28 of the Chicago Cubs throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on July 05, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
CHICAGO - Chicago Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks will not return this season after he was hampered by shoulder trouble for much of the year.
Hendricks finishes with a 4-6 record and a career-high 4.80 ERA in 16 starts.
"Very unfortunate obviously. You just want to pitch," Hendricks said Monday. "That’s it. I just want to pitch all year and be there for my guys every fifth day. ... But, you know, things get in the way, things happen."
Hendricks got 12 days off between starts in early June because of shoulder fatigue. He returned June 14 against San Diego, but he left a July 5 start at Milwaukee after just three innings.
The 32-year-old Hendricks said he was first diagnosed with tendinitis. But another MRI after the start against the Brewers showed a capsular tear.
"It looked like we were running out of time to do a throwing schedule and to come back and make some starts, so we just all decided it’d be best," he said. "There’s really not the time to get back, so take advantage, fully getting healthy, not trying to push through it at all."
Hendricks said the injury is from years of usage, and he doesn’t think he is going to need surgery to fix the issue.
Hendricks was acquired in a 2012 trade with Texas and made his major league debut with Chicago in 2014. He is 87-61 with a 3.46 ERA in nine seasons, helping the Cubs win the World Series in 2016.
He is heading into the final guaranteed year of his contract. There is a $16 million team option for 2024 with a $1.5 million buyout.
"I need to produce and perform to be a part of this winning culture and this winning that’s going to be coming," Hendricks said. "I want to be a part of that, so I’m focusing on myself to do as much as I can to put myself in that position."