OAKLAND – Cubs left-hander Brandon Hughes went through several different braces on his left knee while on the injured list for the first few weeks of the season.
Hughes, who the Cubs reinstated from the 15-day IL Saturday, ditched the bulkier brace, the kind offensive linemen wear in football. He opted for a compression sleeve with a circle of padding.
“The main thing was trying to get back to consistency,” Hughes said this weekend, pointing to the brace changes and efforts to reduce swelling. “... The big brace, I don’t think it was meant to be pitched in. But the sleeve brace is a whole lot better. And I feel like I’m actually building on and being consistent with my mechanics.”
Hughes described his knee issue as “bone-on-bone.” In 2015 he underwent surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee, but since then, he hadn’t had a flare-up like what he experienced this spring.
“I can’t even really put a finger on it,” Hughes said. “It was getting mad at me every single time I touched the mound, or anytime I did anything explosive. And it would swell up, and then I’d have to get it drained, and it’d swell up, I’d have to get it drained. So it’s been frustrating. But I think we’re on a good track.”
He had trouble sinking into his leg and pushing off of it. The Cubs shut him down after four outings.
In a three-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa, Hughes had two scoreless outings and gave up three runs in another. The Cubs have been tracking his knee angle and shin angle, along with his pitch data, and Hughes said everything is trending in the right direction.
What’s the last step to get him back to where he left off last year, when he was one of the Cubs’ most reliable back-end relievers?
“Get me back out there,” Hughes said. “Let’s just get me back out there, get me in some game situations. I’m ready for that.”
Arizona report
Veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks (strained right shoulder) threw two innings in an extended spring training simulated game Monday, the Cubs announced. He’s built up to 36 pitches.
“Everything’s on track, he feels great, things are moving really well,” manager David Ross said. “He’s super positive, feels excellent. So all positive signs. We’re trying to build him up and make sure when he goes out on these [rehab] starts, you can get three-plus [inning], is where our head’s at before we send him out.”
The Cubs have not said exactly when they will send Hendricks on a rehab assignment, but he is nearing that step.
Right-handed reliever Codi Heuer (Tommy John surgery) is scheduled to throw one inning in a sim game Tuesday.
Balanced schedule
The Cubs made the trip out to Oakland for the first time in seven years. The new, more balanced schedule format will eliminate those kinds of gaps.
“I like it,” Ross said. “New ballparks, different environments, different challenges. Playing everybody just seems to make a lot of sense.”