Kyle Hendricks’ mind and body are sound.
His mechanics are a different story.
The Cubs pitcher has identified the issue that has led to his struggles of late and Hendricks has been working diligently on a fix that will help the right-hander regain the form that made him one of the National League’s top pitchers the last four seasons.
In his last seven starts, Hendricks is 1-5 with a 6.29 earned-run average, begging the question: What the heck is going on?
“It’s definitely mechanical,” said Hendricks, one of the more cerebral players in baseball. “My stuff, especially my fastball command overall, hasn’t been good and that’s really where everything stems for me. My changeup works off that and my curveball works off that. Even more specific than that, (with) my glove-side sinker I haven’t had the right movement. Everything has been kind of running back to the middle and on kind of an up shoot. I’m not getting any sync or depth on that two-seam. We found out I wasn’t being strong on my backside and you can’t get out front as well. That’s really where I’m at.”
That about covers it, but Cubs President Theo Epstein also took a run at explaining the problem.
“When he’s in a mechanical rut not everything is synced up, he’s not over the rubber the proper amount of time and it affects his release point and the shape of his pitches and obviously the command of his pitches, too,” Epstein said. “Sinker down and away to the righty is a pretty big bread-and-butter pitch for him and when it’s leaking over the plate it changes the whole dynamic of how his stuff works.”
The fact that Hendricks’ struggles stem from a mechanical flaw in his delivery rather from an injury gives the Cubs confidence he can right the ship. The 28-year-old will get an opportunity to do so when he pitches the opener of the Cubs’ three game series against the Giants on Monday in San Francisco.
“When a … really good player struggles, is he hurt? That’s my question,” manager Joe Maddon said. “He’s not hurt. He’s fine, he’s physically well. There’s something about the feel of what he’s doing that’s a little bit off and he’s so about that. As long as he’s healthy, which he is, that’s why I’m very confident that he’s going to be fine. I just think it’s a matter of time.”
Also not lacking in confidence that Hendricks will return to form is the veteran himself. This is not the first time adversity has come on the baseball field.
“I’ve been through it a lot and not just in the big-leagues,” Hendricks said. “(My) whole career, high school, college I’ve been through struggles at all different levels so you know what you’ve been through and you know things that have helped you get out of it. You get back to the process. You just have to stick with the work and trust that you’ll come through it.”
To that end, Hendricks has been watching video and tweaking his delivery during bullpen sessions.
“You have to take advantage of every side, every throwing session and just try to build those good habits,” he said. “It’s at the point where you feel the good ones … and you have a chance now whereas early in the process, I was kind of lost, still searching for it. It makes the work a little more exciting but by the same token you’re here to get outs and to perform and that’s what’s really fun. Eventually, I know that will come and I just have to trust it.”