Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, the last remaining member of the 2016 World Series team, made his 2023 season debut at Wrigley Field Wednesday night.
Hendricks' 2022 season was cut short in July due to a tear in his shoulder. He said he was looking forward to this moment. It was his first start at home since June 30 of last year.
“There was a lot of buildup to that one, obviously,” Hendricks said. “Kind of an emotional day with everything building up to it. But at the end of the day, just getting to this point and getting back out there was No. 1, huge.”
Hendricks was pulled in the fifth inning after allowing six runs, three of them earned, on six hits. He struck out five batters and walked two. The Cubs lost to the New York Mets 10-1.
Hendricks was once among the best starting pitchers in baseball, posting a 3.12 ERA in 175 appearances from 2014-2020. That stretch included two top-10 finishes in NL Cy Young Award voting.
The past two seasons did not go as swimmingly for Hendricks. In 48 starts, Hendricks had a 4.78 ERA in 2021-2022. He allowed the most hits in the league in 2021.
Kyle Hendricks is in the final year of a four-year deal with the Cubs with a $16 million club option for 2024. It's hard to see a world in which the Cubs pick up that option if Hendricks continues to pitch the way he has recently. Add in the improved depth the Cubs have added to their pitching staff and Hendricks' days as a Cub could be numbered.
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