Chicago Cubs injury news: Kyle Hendricks should be back soon, Ben Zobrist not so much
Joe Maddon gives us an update on injured Chicago Cubs players. We get some good news on the Kyle Hendricks front, but Ben Zobrist is up in the air.
The Chicago Cubs have not had the same kind of injury luck as they did last season. I wouldn’t say that injuries have killed this team but the Cubs have not exactly been able to stay healthy as a group.
Most notably, starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks has not pitched since June 4th. Hendricks is dealing with tendinitis in his right hand, an injury that was not expected to be serious at the start. However, Hendricks has already missed more time than was expected and seemed likely to be out until the All-Star break just a short time ago. That being said, things are looking better now.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon told Glenn Sattell of MLB.com on Friday, that Hendricks was about ready to throw. Maddon expected Hendricks to test it over the weekend. If that goes well, this could move quickly.
"“If he’s ready to go, go ahead,” Maddon said of a possible appearance prior to the All-Star break. “This is one of those things, in the finger you’ve got to throw the ball and just feel the baseball. If he’s doing that, there’s no reason to hold him back, I don’t think.”"
The Cubs could certainly use a healthy Hendricks back in their rotation mix. Mike Montgomery and Eddie Butler have filled in admirably but Hendricks is a real difference maker who helps solidify the entire rotation.
Heyward
We also got an update on the disabled Jason Heyward, who is dealing with an abrasion on his left hand.
"“He keeps getting better,” Maddon said. “He’s also progressing. I talked to him. You could see the look in his eyes, he’s feeling better. He has the right attitude about it like he normally does. He’s starting to feel better, but he’s not quite ready yet.”"
Zobrist
Maddon also quickly spoke about Ben Zobrist, who is on the disabled list with a wrist injury. Zobrist was eligible to come back from the DL on Friday, and there was once speculation that he would be ready to go when eligible. That being said, the wrist is apparently still bothering him and Maddon says that his return is “still not imminent.”
I still have a bad taste in my mouth on how the Cubs handled the Zobrist situation. He continued to play hurt for weeks, not being able to hit right-handed because of his hurt wrist. They should have put him on the disabled list a long time ago. The Cubs have the depth to let their guys get healthy when necessary.
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Zobrist is obviously a huge part of what they do, but they need him more down the stretch than right now. Give him the necessary time to get right before getting back on the field. The Chicago Cubs need a strong and healthy Ben Zobrist down the stretch.