Hendricks (1-5) allowed two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out four over seven innings, taking the loss Tuesday versus the Giants.
Hendricks has faced the Giants in each of his two starts since returning to the rotation. He's limited them to three runs over 12.2 innings with a 12:2 K:BB, but he's gone 1-1 in those outings. It's still a positive sign after his awful start to the campaign landed him a demotion to the bullpen, where he surrendered five runs over 14.1 innings across five appearances. He's now at a 6.87 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 43:17 K:BB over 57.2 innings through 14 appearances (nine starts) this year. Hendricks is tentatively projected to make his next start at home in a tough matchup against the Phillies.
Manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Imanaga's next start will be moved back from Wednesday to Thursday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
The Cubs will give Imanaga an extra day to rest after he was lit up for 10 earned runs in just three innings during his last start. Despite his awful performance Friday, the 30-year-old southpaw has still been strong overall with a 2.96 ERA and 1.10 WHIP alongside an 81:12 K:BB through 79 innings over 14 starts. Counsell didn't name a replacement starter for Wednesday, though he noted a bullpen game is the most likely scenario.
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Cubs' Caleb Kilian: Faces live hitters
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Kilian (shoulder) threw live batting practice Tuesday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Kilian began throwing bullpen sessions earlier this month and has now progressed to facing live hitters for the first time since landing on the injured list before Opening Day. He will likely require a lengthy rehab assignment before being reinstated from the IL, at which point it's more likely that he reports to Triple-A Iowa rather than the big-league club.
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Cubs' Ben Brown: Could be nearing mound work
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Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Monday that he's hopeful that Brown (neck) will be cleared to resume throwing off a mound at some point later this week, MLB.com reports.
Brown was placed on the 15-day injured list June 11 with a left neck strain, only for reports to surface a few days later suggesting that the right-hander might be dealing with a stress reaction. After the Cubs sought out multiple medical opinions, however, the original diagnosis of a neck strain has held up, and Brown was cleared to resume throwing last Tuesday. According to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, Brown played catch three times this past week and threw from 90 feet Friday, leaving Counsell optimistic that the rookie may be ready to take another meaningful step forward this week by getting back on the mound. Montemurro notes that Brown was told when he received his diagnosis that he was about one month into what's described as a "two-to-three-month burnout period" for the neck injury, though that timeline won't affect his potential return date from the IL and only relates to how long he might be physically feeling the effects of the injury. Assuming Brown is able to complete a bullpen session this week, he would still likely have a chance at completing his throwing progression and returning from the IL before the All-Star break.
Hoerner went 2-for-4 with a walk, one stolen base and one run scored in Monday's 5-4 loss to the Giants.
Hoerner hasn't hit all that well in June (.194), but he's logged six steals over 19 contests this month. The infielder is up to 12 thefts on 14 attempts for the season, providing speed atop the Cubs' lineup. He's added a .241/.331/.327 slash line with two home runs, 18 RBI, 36 runs scored, 14 doubles and a triple over 70 contests.
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Cubs' Justin Steele: Good start goes to waste
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Steele allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out nine over 7.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Giants on Monday.
The downside to Steele's outing was that two of the hits on his line were solo home runs from Matt Chapman and Nick Ahmed. The southpaw hadn't given up a homer in any of his last five starts, and the Giants were able to continue their comeback push against the Cubs' bullpen to deny Steele his first win of the year. Despite the lack of positive results, he's logged five quality starts in 11 outings with a 3.08 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 65:16 K:BB over 64.1 innings. Steele is projected for a tough road matchup at Milwaukee this weekend.
Almonte suffered a setback in his ramp-up from a strained right shoulder, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Almonte and the Cubs have been forced to "press pause" on his recovery, according to manager Craig Counsell. The team is expected to seek another opinion on the right-hander's shoulder and his status moving forward appears to be up in the air for the time being.
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Cubs' Miguel Amaya: Day off Monday
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Amaya is not in the starting lineup Monday against the Giants.
Amaya will take a seat after he went 1-for-3 with a strikeout in Sunday's series finale versus the Mets. Tomas Nido will take over behind the plate and bat eighth in the opener versus San Francisco.
Assad (4-3) allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk while failing to record a strikeout over 4.1 innings, taking the loss Sunday versus the Mets.
Assad has failed to complete five innings in four of his last nine starts. The Mets did most of their damage in the third inning, as Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo hit back-to-back home runs to account for three of the four runs on Assad's line. The right-hander is now at a 3.04 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 79:33 K:BB through 83 innings across 16 starts this year. He's projected for a road game in Milwaukee in his next start.
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Cubs' Christopher Morel: Provides offense Sunday
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Morel went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Mets.
Morel provided all of Chicago's offense with his 15th home run of the season in the seventh inning. The 24-year-old has hit 15 or more homers in each of his three MLB seasons to date, including a career high 26 long balls last year in 107 games. Assuming he stays healthy, Morel could surpass that figure in 2024 as the team is still a few games shy of the season's midpoint.
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Cubs' Luke Little: Back in big leagues
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Little was called up from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Little will return to the major-league bullpen just one day after being sent to Iowa, replacing Mark Leiter (forearm) on the 26-man roster. Little has compiled a 2.31 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 12 strikeouts over 11.2 innings in 13 appearances with the Cubs since May 15.
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Cubs' Mark Leiter: Placed on 15-day IL
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Leiter was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain Sunday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Leiter last appeared in a game Wednesday versus the Giants, surrendering three runs on a hit and two walks over two-thirds of an inning. He'll now likely be sidelined longer than the minimum stay on the injured list considering it's an injury to his throwing arm. In the meantime, Luke Little was called up from Triple-A Iowa to replace Leiter in the major-league bullpen Sunday.
Neris worked around a hit and a walk to pitch a scoreless ninth inning in Saturday's 8-1 win over the Mets. He struck out two.
Neris was still a little shaky, but this was a step in the right direction after he allowed seven earned runs over 2.2 innings and blew two saves in his last three outings. The veteran worked the end of the game Saturday, though it wasn't a save opportunity, and Colten Brewer was the pitcher tapped for the team's last save chance in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the Giants. Neris is likely still the closer in Chicago moving forward, but his margin for error has shrunk.
