Cubs decide to demote former MLB ERA leader

The Chicago Cubs are making a tough decision with one of their veteran pitchers.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell revealed to reporters on Tuesday that the team has removed right-hander Kyle Hendricks from the rotation and will place him in the bullpen. Counsell noted that the Hendricks’ demotion is for the time being, per Patrick Mooney of The Athletic.

Hendricks, 34, is a beloved Cub who has been with the team for his entire MLB career, which began in 2014. He led the major leagues with a microscopic 2.13 ERA during the 2016 season, finishing as an NL Cy Young finalist that year and also helping guide the Cubs to the 2016 World Series title. 

Hendricks, who had a top-10 Cy Young finish in the 2020 season, too, is now the final member of that 2016 team on Chicago’s current roster.

The demotion is clearly the right choice, though, as Hendricks has looked like a complete shell of himself this season. He now owns a miserable 10.57 ERA through seven starts in 2024 and just got rocked for eight runs on 11 hits during his last start over the weekend against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

With Hendricks now out of the rotation, the Cubs may try to fully stretch out rookie Ben Brown as their No. 5 starter or just go with a four-man rotation, plus a slot for a bullpen game. They did recently acquire more pitching depth that would help towards that second possibility.