Kyle Hendricks is entering his 10th season with the Chicago Cubs.
However, he comes into 2023 with plenty of questions being asked about him.
One cause for concern with the starting pitcher is his health.
His 2022 season saw him leaving with a shoulder injury.
The injury is leading people to question if the 33-year-old star can be effective during the upcoming MLB season
Yeah, saw that, but honestly I don’t get it. Right now, because of the shoulder injury, no one even knows when Kyle Hendricks can pitch next year, much less whether he will be effective. Don’t see how he’s tradable this offseason. https://t.co/smVKzWO4vJ
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) December 23, 2022
While Hendricks has been a star for the Cubs in the past, his past two seasons are leaving fans with questions.
With him coming off an injury, and a horrible 2022 season, fans question if there’s any hope for him.
A look at his past two seasons gives fans a mixed bag of results.
While he was 14-7 in 32 games for 2021, his ERA was 4.77.
But his 2022 season saw him posting his worst ERA of his career.
In 16 games for 2022, he was 4-6 with a 4.80 ERA.
While some of his issues last season might stem from his shoulder injury, the two consecutive seasons of off numbers aren’t giving fans hope.
He’s numbers show a clear decline.
However, there’s also an issue with Hendricks’ ability to start on Opening Day for the Cubs.
With him still rehabbing from his injury, he might not be ready when baseball starts in 2023.
But he has another issue, as the Cubs signed Jameson Taillon during the offseason.
With another starting pitcher in the lineup, the hope for Hendricks is fading in Chicago.
While he hopes he can prove he’s still a star, his age puts him in the twilight years of his career.
