Kyle Hendricks didn’t betray any emotion as he took the mound at Wrigley Field for the first time in almost a year, cameras forming a semicircle around the mound as he warmed up. But that was expected.
“He’s not going to ride the emotions at all,” manager David Ross said before the game Thursday. “I love that about him. His most frustrated moment is letting out a sigh of air, and his happiest moment is – I don’t even know. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it. Maybe the World Series.”
In the Cubs’ 10-1 loss, all eyes were on Kyle Hendricks as he made his first major-league start since July 5 of last year. The Cubs activated him off the 15-day injured list (strained right shoulder) Thursday to make his season debut.
“He’s what you think of [when you think of] the Cubs right now,” catcher Yan Gomes said. “He’s the longest tenured guy. So having a guy like him here again, it’s great.”
Hendricks’ results Thursday weren’t great. He allowed five runs, three earned, in 4 ⅓ innings. But having him healthy, and working to reclaim his success from earlier years, was a big deal.
With the start Thursday, Hendricks became the 12th pitcher to pitch for the Cubs in 10 or more seasons. His resume includes accolades spanning from a regular season ERA title to a World Series title.
“That’s my favorite thing about him, it it’s the same human being every single day,” Ross said.
The work Hendricks put in this offseason to shorten his arm path, inject athleticism into his delivery and train velocity weren’t about changing him. On the contrary, they were aimed toward recapturing the best version of him, and keeping him healthy, after back-to-back down seasons.
“Kyle throws the way Kyle throws,” Gomes said of Hendricks, who throws a fastball in the upper 80s and relies on command and control. “The guy has made a tremendous career out of it.”
Gomes caught Hendricks in Milwaukee last July, when he left the game early with what was termed a sore shoulder at the time. Then when Hendricks threw his first bullpen this spring, Gomes made sure he was behind the plate, even though he wasn’t scheduled to catch Hendricks’ session.
“I’ve been on the IL before multiple times,” Gomes said. “And sometimes it just felt to me like you get pushed to the side and you’re running your own program and you’re trying to stay out of guys’ way. If anything from me, I wanted him to feel like he’s part of this team. He’s the Professor. He’s a big part of the Cubs.”
Gomes was back behind the plate Thursday in a full-circle moment.
Hendricks’ start was a mixed bag, alternating between quick and laborious innings.
“Anybody can pitch when things are going well,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said. “I want to see, if he gets out of whack mechanically on a pitch or he loses a couple, how quick he can make those adjustments?
“When he’s at his best, he’ll miss one and then lock it right back in right away. And obviously we’re not expecting him to be midseason form, peak Kyle. But his ability to make those adjustments and stick to what he needs to do in those moments is going to be key as we get him reintroduced.”
Hendricks gave up a lead-off double, issued two walks and surrendered a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Then he threw a perfect inning with two strikeouts. He surrendered four straight singles in the third. Then he retired the side in order. He gave up a smoked ground ball base hit and hit a batter. Then he left the game.
He wasn’t quite back to the old Hendricks. But after 11 months on the sidelines, he wasn’t expected to be right away.