CINCINNATI – Last April, right-hander Marcus Stroman was searching for his rhythm. 

Later in the season – after batting COVID-19, rushing back and landing on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder – he and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy would refine Stroman’s posture at his balance point. And he would get back to leaning on his sinker, after an early emphasis on his four-seamer. 

This year, he has a head start.

“It’s always good to have the foundation of things you’ve worked through the year before, and then have those guys back and be able to build on it,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said in a conversation with the Sun-Times.

A rainout in Cincinnati pushed Stroman’s second start of the season from Wednesday to Friday, facing the Rangers after the off day. And he’s off to a strong start after throwing six shutout innings against the Brewers on Opening Day, even while acknowledging that the pitch clock was a “big adjustment.”

Stroman points to the second half of last season as an example of his value in a rotation. After returning from the IL, he posted a 2.56 ERA in 16 starts. He finished the season on an especially high note, allowing one run in his last two outings combined.

“I felt like that was truly reminiscent of who I could be as a pitcher,” Stroman said recently.

If Stroman can replicate his 2022 second half over the course of this coming season, the Cubs will be in good shape at the top of the rotation. But since signing last winter, Stroman has had his sights set higher: unlocking a new level with the Cubs. 

Stroman’s performance last year isn’t the only thing that will serve as a jumping off point. The ups and downs of the first half of the 2022 season also strengthened the relationship between him and his new pitching coaches.

“He knows now that I know the right things to look for in-game for him to keep him on track,” Hottovy said. 

Together they’ve found the cues that resonate, the checkpoints that produce the best results. Sometimes in-game pitch data will identify red flags, but Hottovy knows Stroman’s delivery well enough that he can see much of what he needs to from the dugout.

What has Hottovy seen this year?

“This is the best I’ve ever seen his sinker, personally, the way he’s throwing it right now,” Hottovy said. “That just tells you how good he is mechanically. When you see the depth that he’s creating on that pitch, it tells you everything you need to know.” 

A year ago, Stroman was lobbying for Kyle Hendricks to be the Opening Day starter, citing his career and resume in the playoffs. 

“Hendricks is the guy,” he said.

The past year hasn’t quite been a transition of power, and Hendricks’ late buildup from a strained shoulder took him out of the Opening Day conversation from the start. (This was scheduled to be somewhat of a deload week for him, before he starts throwing live batting practice sessions.) But there has been a shift. 

This year, it was Hendricks giving Stroman his vote of confidence for the honor of the Opening Day start.

“He’s obviously the guy,” Hendricks said this spring. “What he did for us last year, being that foundation, the consistency he gave us – he had such a good second half too, I mean, he was dominant, really.”

RANGERS AT CUBS

Friday: RHP Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 5.40) vs. Marcus Stroman (1-0, 0.00), 1:20 p.m., Apple+, 670-AM

Saturday: LHP Martín Pérez (1-0, 1.59) vs. Justin Steele (0-0, 0.00), 3:05 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM

Sunday: RHP Jon Gray (0-1, 2.84) vs. Jameson Taillon (0-1, 6.75), 1:20 p.m., Marquee, 670-AM