MESA, Ariz. — Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks’ “touch-and-feel” bullpen Friday was only 10 fastballs long. But it was his first time throwing off a mound since July 5, when he left a game in Milwaukee early with a shoulder injury. So, of course catcher Yan Gomes caught Hendricks on Friday, even though he wasn’t originally scheduled to do so.
“He knows me, he knows what to expect,” Hendricks said. “And he told me right away, ‘Man, that’s you.’ Action was good, angle, at the bottom of the zone, throwing strikes, over the plate. So, really, I couldn’t ask for any more out of today.”
