Chicago Cubs: Up, down, and all around for Kyle Hendricks in 2018

Chicago Cubs: Struggling to stay consistent

The period of months from the beginning of June until mid-August was a significant challenge for Hendricks. In that time, Hendricks made nine starts, finishing with a very un-Hendricks-like 4.91 ERA. While Hendricks did witness his strikeout rate increasing, his walk rate was at an all-time high of 2.6 BB/9.

A challenging point for the young right-hander, who found himself in one of the biggest pitching slumps of his career up to this point. Hendricks’ FIP and xFIP, unfortunately, did not change much, decreasing to 3.89 and 3.81 respectively.

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Hendricks also made only four quality starts across that period of 14 games, a less than stellar statistic, considering who we are referencing. The positive thing for Hendricks and the Cubs though, was that at least he was in there, healthy and making his starts.

The team had lost Yu Darvish who, at the time, was vigorously rehabbing. His loss certainly put a dent in the Cubs rotation, and Hendricks position.

Another challenge presented itself for Hendricks over this span. Across the 14 starts which he made, Hendricks failed to reach at least six innings in nine of the fourteen appearances.

Hendricks posted five starts of precisely five innings. Mixed in were the two starts where the right-hander finished with 2 2/3 innings pitched and 4 2/3 innings pitched, respectively. It would take a little while before he got himself back on track.