Jason Ross

1. That's not 'really' Sports Illustrated. That's FanNation, something similar to Bleacher Report. It's far less trustworthy. FanNation is just "a part" of the SI Network. 2. That article is written by a Marlins' "beat writer". Probably not very acclimated with the Cubs. 3. SI has gone through huge layoffs recently thus why someone who covers the Marlins is covering the Cubs. They run a skeleton crew. This is barely the SI you knew. It also explains #4 4. The only "source" is the joke tweet from Sports Mockery. Likely fooled a Marlins beat who isn't following the correct Cubs sources. 5. Here is Alden Soto, the same person with the original tweet, with a follow up: It's not real. Hendricks is not on the IL.

Stuff wise he's been fine as @Bertzpointed out. This is really a command/control issue, IMO. He's not piping pitches but that command is leaking to more and more hittable areas. The hope is that this is a 2021/2022 mechanical fix where the command can be re-found, and Hendricks can look more like the guy in 2023. With that said, I do believe command/control is a skill that can decline as well. If it's decline, than I fear Hendricks may have a very sharp cliff. If it's mechanical, there probably aren't many more minds out there on the mound more in tune with what they need to do to maximize their stuff than Hendricks. The hope is that it's the second, my fear is that there's going to come a point when it becomes more likely it's the first and how much rope he'll get would then become a factor.

I don't necessarily think Hendricks has to be throwing meatballs to be missing locations. He's not throwing meatballs, but he's catching a lot more of the plate. The left is 2024, the right is 2023. There's been a shift where the stuff off the plate is coming much much closer to the plate. His stuff has always been "fringey", but has played well up due to command and control. I think the margins for error here are a lot slimmer. So even when he's throwing pitches that "aren't that bad"...they're far more hittable than others who throw "not that bad". Particularly, look at that splotch on the bottom right in the 2024 box; that's a hittable area. And he's missing far more middle-plate that before. There's a reason his changeup has gone from a +12 to a -4 in run value right now. This isn't to say this isn't fixable, but I think I'm more concerned about this than you are. There are some things like "it's three games" and "he's faced good teams" but there's also the "holy horsefeathers this isn't just a normal amount of bad" that you look at, at the totality of things to a degree. I think there's a good chance this is a mechanical fix, but as stated, I think that it's fair to wonder about a 34 year old's decline in ability to command/control as well. I really don't want to be panic-mode...I think on the continuum from "panic" to "everything is going to be fine" I'm far more in the middle of "I will wait and see" than you. Which is fine, IMO, as I think as long as you're stopping short of panic right now, you're probably in a fine territory when it comes to Hendricks

There's my boy Porter Hodge.

I think two things can be true at once: we shouldn't expect 40% of his flyballs to be home runs, but that there is also an underlying issue here that needs to be figured out. His whiff rate, chase rate, weak contact rate, are all way down. His xBA and xwOBA, xERA barrel rate are all way up. He's giving up a higher rate of no-doubt HR's than ever before. Some of this is just who he's faced: he's faced really good competition. Some of this was a little bad luck, like some of the hits he gave up early last night. Some of this is some regress-to-the-means-stuff, like the FB%. But I'm not entirely sure he'll be just fine, either because some of this is clearly an issue with Kyle, too. He's 34 and with the locations of his pitches, he's been a victim of his own failures in that respect. I don't want to sound the panic bells; I'm not shouting we should DFA him, but this has been a pretty awful no good start for him that is definitely raising some red flags. The good news is that there's a realistic reason to believe this is a mechanical thing and if there's one pitcher who can work on their command, it's probably Kyle Hendricks. The bad news is that at the age of 34, and someone who's worked with marginal stuff his entire career, it's also possible that a dip in command due to age regression is on the table, and that it could be a steep cliff for someone like Kyle, too. It's too early to say which it is, but it's also why I hesitate to be confident that he'll be fine. He might be! But...he really might not be, too. More so than other players who struggle initially in April, Hendricks has the recipe for someone I can see things turning sour quickly due to the factors of age, injury history, and stuff. From a personal stand point I'm really rooting for him as he's a personal favorite. But I really am a bit worried.

There was a game against...horsefeathers I think maybe the Columbia Fireflies last year? Not only was the angle horsefeathers...it was aimed directly at the sun. Completely and utterly worthless. I was so mad.

Hendricks hasn't been good in 2024, but I think the narrative that Hendricks was somehow a known quantity of being bad is just wrong. He was quite good in 2023. The xFIP was unimpressive, but he's been an xFIP beater his career. He was worth 2.8 fWAR. And the Cubs had to make the Hendricks option choice pretty early - they really didn't know the market was going to go how it ended up. It gave the Cubs a reasonable pitcher (2.5 fWAR) on a reasonable 1 year contract. It gave them options in the rotation next season. Once we lost Stroman, there wasn't much of a choice, I don't think. It was a very defensible move at the time. It sucks he's been rough these three starts. I think there's probably some tweaks to fix this. There's no discernable velocity drop. There is a command issue, and it's possible that with some mechanical fixes, the control seen more in 2023 can return. He's also gotten saddled with facing Texas, San Diego and LA to start the season. With worse competition, and a bit better command, there's still the potential of a decent starting pitcher. With that said, it's probably fair to start asking ourselves what rope Hendricks has and when the line comes that tough conversations need to be had.

I think it's a little of column A and a little of column B, personally. I don't think he's been horrible but I also think we're starting to see a bit of a tipping point with Hendricks right now as the command just hasn't been there like it was when he as younger. Through four innings, Hendricks has two swings and misses. Entering, he was at an ~8% in-zone-whiff%, a 6.5% drop from last year. The reality of guys who don't get whiffs is that they're going to see more pitches hit in the line of play and more of those low xBA hits are just going to drop as a matter of sample size, as well. I'm not so worried about the 9.00 ERA, but the severe lack of whiffs is a red flag. He's really been leaving pitches up in the zone a lot more and he's just not getting as many off the plate. Not a panic-mode-post, but not a great start for a pitcher I think is kind of running closer and closer to the margins as well. Hopefully there's a mechanical change that can get the pitches back to that off-corner like he had in 2023, and less like he was at in 2021-2022 (sorry to take this post in a bit of a different direction. I went to respond...then thought "Hey I should peep TruMedia!"...then...well...this is where my ADHD brain ended and wanted to share regardless of the initial direction of the post because I thought it was interesting)

Eh, I think to a degree. I'll give him the early runs were a bit of bad luck. The last two runs were well earned; 91 EV (.970 xBA) single, 102 EV (.790 xBA) double, scores previous hit and 103 EV (.940 EV) triple, scores after ground ball. Those two runs weren't bad luck.

Yep. Back to back over 100mph, one a triple, and the other an almost triple.

All MiLB Games either: - Are shown from a ridiculously terrible angle or - Broadcast via with the all of the definition and clarity of an iPhone3

Glad I'm not alone! It's such as weird little motion

Busch crushed a slider. This is awesome progress, as sliders have been pitches Busch has had the biggest in-zone-whiff% issues with in Triple-A, both in 2022 and 2023. He's been a great hitting on fastballs >95mph (and has been getting better at the 94-95mph stuff). If he gets better at sliders too? Watch out ya'll.

Get it Busch!

So I'm well acquainted with Cease. I know who he is, what he throws. I know who he was drafted by and traded for. But I've never really watched Dylan Cease throw. He's far more awkward looking mechanically than my brain thought he'd be.

I mean, that was like major injuries and health scares ago. I really don't think there's much here. If something comes of it...great. But I wouldn't say there's much potential other than a cool story. I'm rooting for him, don't get me wrong...but I think putting him in the "has potential" category is a bit much.

Does he? I've seen his name mentioned a few times, but there's not much I'm excited about here. He's 32, he's logged 5 innings since 2021, and his K rate is way down. He's a cool story, and a lottery ticket...but the odds are really stacked against Brad Wieck being anything any more.

Yeah, sadly he's looked pretty rough so far (Paciolla). Was bad in CPX too. Hopefully it's a developmental thing and he's working his way through stuff. Cubs staff was apparently very high on him out of the draft

Sometimes I forget that I'm an uber prospect dork, but it almost makes it more fun for me. At least for me. Like, I kind of already know PCA and Caissie are going to rake and that someone like Josh Hudson is...uninteresting...but I'll be 100% tuning into Juan Bello's next go trying to figure out who this kid is and what he's got going on. In Myrtle there are so many more possibilities because anyone can break out, really. But that's just me. If you're not an uber dork, I totally understand why it's sometimes just easier/nicer/cleaner to follow the guys you're more confident in. With zero shade or shame there. Like I said, I know what I am is the niche haha

I don't think it's mediocre per-se, only that the lower levels are kind of...murky. If that makes sense. Like, Juan Bello is 20, out of the DSL, struck out 7 in over 3 innings in his Myrtle Beach debut. Is he a thing? He might be! But that performance probably went under the radar. Alfonsin Rosario, out of HS and a 6th round pick has been hitting some bombs down in Arizona in EXST, Jaxson Wiggins (2023 2nd rounder) just started throwing to live hitters and will likely make the lower levels by ~May-ish. Still have guys like Long/Kalmer/Trice in the lower levels, too, who could McGeary/Murray their way into late-round-relevance at the lower levels. The Cubs are in a bit of a transition period at the lower levels right now. I think we'll look back and find some new prospect to be excited about there...just right now we aren't fully certain who those guys are.

Hey! I get to watch a full baseball game! This is the second best news of this morning. Behind, obviously, waking up to find that the bullpen *didn't* blow a comfortable lead last night after I passed out.

Wisdom still has options. They may keep him in Triple-A. Cooper has played well and they'd likely lose him.

He went 3.1 IP Saturday. Threw just under 70 pitches. I'd assume they wanted 4+ days of rest after that many pitches early in the season. So maybe he'd be available to join the club tomorrow or Thursday and be used.