Reinforcements are coming for the Cubs staff in a steady trickle over the course of the next couple months, as a trio of pitchers on the injured list continue to progress.
Left-handed reliever Brandon Hughes (left knee inflammation), who was scheduled to appear in the Triple-A Iowa Cubs’ game Tuesday for the second game of his rehab stint, is the closest to returning. His time on the IL was more about correcting mechanical slippage from his spring training flare-up.
Veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks (strained right shoulder) isn’t that far behind. He’s scheduled to throw two innings Wednesday at the Cubs’ Arizona spring training complex.
“Then we’ll make a decision after that,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Tuesday, “but he’s doing great.”
Wednesday’s session will be Hendricks’ second time facing batters. The next step after live batting practice and simulated games will be a minor-league rehab assignment.
“We’ll reevaluate it,” Hoyer said when asked if Hendricks could begin that rehab assignment in the next 10 days, “but he’s not far off.”
Reliever Codi Heurer, who underwent Tommy John surgery last March, has also entered the live BP section of his rehab program.
Heurer, who the Cubs put on the 60-day IL this spring, was originally circling late June or early July to return from the injured list.
“But he’s throwing really well,” Hoyer said. “... We’re not really in a hurry with him because we will send him on a rehab [assignment] and our hope is, without a setback, he’s basically ready pretty close to when the 60-day’s up.”
Heuer is eligible to be activated on May 29.
Even without Hughes, Hendricks and Heuer, the Cubs pitching staff posted the third-best ERA in the National League (3.89) in the team’s first nine games of the season, trailing only the Brewers and Braves.
When Hughes returns, he’ll provide the lefty arm the bullpen has been missing. Hendricks will be the last remaining 2016 World Series champion on the roster and add to the rotation’s veteran presence. Heuer and the Cubs expect the surgery to address his decline in velocity over the course of 2021. He can slide into a back-end bullpen role right away, with a high ceiling for development.
Shine bright
The Cubs’ series against the Mariners this week featured the first two night games on the schedule, which meant the debut of the energy-efficient LED lights the team had installed in November.
“You can tell a huge difference,” Nick Madrigal said after scoring the winning run Monday as a pinch runner in the 10th inning. “I was watching down below on TV. You couldn’t even tell if it was a day or night game it was so bright. I think those are going to be really nice throughout the year.”
Once Nico Hoerner hit the walk-off RBI single that ended the game in a 3-2 Cubs win Monday, the lights flashed along to “Go Cubs Go” and formed Ws.
