3 struggling Cubs players who need to get it together soon
There are some players struggling out of the gate for the Chicago Cubs, contributing to a couple of frustrating losses that could have reversed the outcome two series'
The Chicago Cubs have been generally playing solid baseball this year. They picked up series wins against formidable teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners, and they were competitive in their two series losses against the San Diego Padres and World Series champion Texas Rangers.
But a few of these losses were avoidable and these three players were contributing factors in the team dropping winnable ballgames. It's still very early in the season, but here are three Cubs players who need to start performing better.
1. Kyle Hendricks
Last week, I wrote about how it's too early for the Cubs to cast Hendricks out. And I still believe that. However, after watching the San Diego Padres tee off on Hendricks' not-so-deceptive arsenal, it may be time to think about moving him to the bullpen. The Padres are admittedly a tough lineup to deal with, but giving up seven earned runs and nine hits over five innings of work is a bit much. Especially when it's your third straight outing of giving up 5 or more earned runs.
The Cubs will likely let Hendricks play out the rest of April in the rotation but I think it would be foolish to leave him there if he continues to struggle like this. He's slated to face the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that just went to the World Series last year, the Miami Marlins, and the Boston Red Sox to close out the month. These teams will be good tests for Hendricks as the Diamondbacks and Red Sox should be a challenge worthy of examining Hendricks' ability. On the other side of the spectrum, the Marlins look like an absolute mess this year with a 3-14 record, which is the second worst in MLB. If Hendricks struggles against them, a demotion to the bullpen should be a certainty.
By that time, Justin Steele should be close to a return so maybe the timing will work out for him to take Hendricks' spot.
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2. Hector Neris
The Chicago Cubs brought in reliever Hector Neris to stabilize the back end of the bullpen. Unfortunately, he hasn't lived up to the $9 million paycheck the front office cut him over the winter. In Neris' first five appearances out of the bullpen so far, he has failed to get through an inning without either surrendering a walk, hit, or an earned run.
Perhaps the most dreadful appearance was on Sunday against the Seattle Mariners, where Neris came in and walked three batters with a one-run lead. Although he was able to escape without surrendering a run, it was because of a heroic double play by shortstop Dansby Swanson. Although Neris did his job by inducing a groundball, there was a high likelihood of the Mariners tying the game with the bases loaded and one out.
The bottom line is that Neris needs to be better. He's getting paid to be the team's primary set-up man and he isn't living up to the assignment. He has more walks (6) than innings pitched (5) and a 5.40 ERA. There's still time, but things need to improve especially with Julian Merryweather sidelined for at least the next month.
3. Cody Bellinger
I have little doubt that Cody Bellinger will turn things around at some point, It would just be nice to see that happen sooner rather than later. The center fielder is sporting an ugly .563 OPS and a 46 wRC+. Those are pretty abysmal numbers for the reigning NL comeback player of the year.
We are less than a month into the season so Bellinger's performance is nothing to riot over yet. The guy is fresh off securing a $30 million paycheck for the 2024 season and he thrived in the summer months last year. The best is yet to come folks. In the meantime, maybe Counsell should think about moving Bellinger down in the batting order just to see if a shake-up will break him out of this funk.