Javier Assad took the rotation spot vacated Thursday night when Jameson Taillon was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a mild to moderate groin strain.

But the bigger development may occur Saturday, as Kyle Hendricks is scheduled to throw three innings in extended spring training in Arizona. President Jed Hoyer confirmed that Hendricks, who is recovering from a right shoulder strain, has regained his velocity to the high 80 mph range, which could make his signature changeup more effective.

The Cubs have been on a crusade to build starting pitching depth, and Hendricks’ return - which possibly could occur during the latter part of May - would provide much-welcomed experience.

“It’s a matter of building up stamina,” Hoyer said.

Meanwhile, manager David Ross hoped that Taillon’s stint on the IL would be “minimal.” That might be extremely optimistic, given that Taillon felt discomfort after playing catch that turned to tightness shortly after treatments loosened the muscles.

“Injuries can never be an excuse, right?” Hoyer said. “So you must have guys to be ready to fill those spots.”

Assad, recalled from Triple-A Iowa, allowed solo home runs to Max Muncy and James Outman in three innings before he was replaced by Adbert Alzolay. The Cubs have a day off Monday, but Ross wasn’t sure if the Cubs would skip Assad’s turn and keep the other four starts on their regular turn every five days. 

The Cubs rallied for a 2-2 tie after six innings on a homer by Cody Bellinger in the second and an RBI single by Nico Hoerner. The start of the game was delayed by one hour, four minutes.

Daniel Palencia, one of the organization’s top prospects, left his Wednesday start for Double-A Tennessee after two innings. Hoyer didn’t disclose the nature of Palencia’s departure.

Thanks for the memories

The Oakland Athletics’ announcement of an agreement to purchase 49 acres of land to build a stadium in Las Vegas brought disappointment to Hoerner, who might have played his last game in his hometown Wednesday.

“Kind of crazy timing to play there for the first time ,but also being the end is a bit of a whirlwind,” Hoerner said. “It’s definitely disappointing, I think for Oakland and for baseball in general. I’m very proud to be from Oakland, and there’s a lot of history there in baseball. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the ability to keep their star players and invest in that group.

“The organization in general, it seems like they’re gone. It’s definitely sad that the Raiders, Warriors and A’s are all gone in a span of 10 years. It’s pretty dramatic from pretty vibrant place. It’s tough to see.”

Hoerner didn’t disappoint family members and friends, as he went 6-for-15 with two doubles in the Cubs’ three-game sweep.

“I’m really glad I got to play there and share with a lot of people I grew up with and helped me get to this point,” Hoerner said. “It was a special series for me.”