3 moves Cubs have to make if they want to save their season

Over the course of a 162-game season, there's always plenty of rise and fall - but the 2023 Cubs have erased a solid showing in the month of April with a disastrous May, going 5-11 with a -21 run differential. There's time to get back on track, but you don't want to dig too deep a hole early on.

Chicago carries a five-game losing streak into a weekend matchup against the Phillies, coming off an absolutely brutal gut punch of a loss Wednesday against Houston. Their only saving grace is the fact they call the dumpster fire that is the NL Central home and just 6 1/2 games separate the first-place Brewers and last-place Cardinals.

But the clock is ticking and moves need to be made. They might be difficult, but given how things have been trending, these moves need to happen and they need to happen now.

3 critical moves the Cubs need to make right now: Quit giving regular playing time to Eric Hosmer and Nick Madrigal

I don't know how much more Jed Hoyer, Carter Hawkins and David Ross need to see. Every start, every regular at-bat that goes to Eric Hosmer and Nick Madrigal immediately puts the team in a precarious spot.

Hosmer, no matter how good of a clubhouse veteran presence he may be, has an average exit velocity that ranks in the bottom two percent of the league. Look at his Statcast page and it's chock-full of blue; he's at or below the bottom 10 percent in the following categories: average exit velo, xBA, xSLG, chase rate and sprint speed.

The line graph showing his production over his past 100 plate appearance looks like a ski slope and, while Matt Mervis is clearly still getting his feet under him, it's time to let him sink or swim - and when you need to give him a blow, utilize either Patrick Wisdom or Cody Bellinger at first, filling their spot with do-it-all utlityman Christopher Morel.

I get the need for veteran leadership. But not at the expense of winning ballgames. It's as simple as that.

3 critical moves the Cubs need to make right now: Slot Kyle Hendricks back into the starting rotation and hope he can re-establish himself

Kyle Hendricks hasn't been, well, Kyle Hendricks (at least as we all know and love him) since the shortened, fan-less 2020 season when he got some down-ballot Cy Young votes for his work.

Since then, however, the right-hander and former ERA leader has been a shell of his former self, making 48 starts with a 4.78 ERA, 1.6 HR/9 and 1.330 WHIP. His last two rehab starts as he works his way back from 2022 shoulder surgery have been very promising, both in terms of his stuff and the results, and there's little more he can prove pitching at Triple-A.

With Wesneski out of the rotation picture and Jameson Taillon struggling early in his Cubs career, this team desperately needs more back-end consistency in the rotation. The team's top three arms - Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele and, somewhat surprisingly, Drew Smyly, have been as consistent as they come for the most part. But adding some depth to the back of the rotation would go a long way toward stabilizing this group.

Again, you don't need him to go out there and be the 2016 version of himself. With the revamped defense the Cubs have, letting him work his change-up and sinker low in the zone and keep the ball on the ground will get you good results - and if he can just keep the team in the game and eat some innings, that alone will be a step in the right direction.