Kilian on tap after vets' sharp efforts go for naught

CHICAGO -- The Cubs showed their vintage ways of relying on the duo of Kyle Hendricks and Willson Contreras to carry the load, two key players who helped them win a World Series in 2016. But not even they can help save the Cubs right now.

Hendricks’ five-plus strong innings and Contreras’ two home runs weren’t enough as Chicago took its eighth straight loss, 12-5, against the Padres on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.

“It’s been tough losing and going through a streak like this,” Hendricks said.

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Aiming to halt the streak before it reaches nine games, the Cubs will call on the opposite end of the experience spectrum. Their No. 5 prospect, right-hander Caleb Kilian will return to the Majors on Wednesday to face San Diego in his second big league start.

The loss Tuesday moved the Cubs to 15 games under .500 (23-38). Chicago is approaching the territory of sellers at the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline. And as those trade talks swirl, Contreras will be at the center.

The Cubs’ catcher went 3-for-4 on Tuesday with two home runs, one double and three RBIs -- another All-Star quality performance. That upped Contreras’ batting average to .279 with 12 home runs and 26 RBIs.

“He’s one of the better catchers in the Major Leagues with the bat,” manager David Ross said. “He’s shown what he’s capable of. He carried our offense today.”

With the Cubs holding the fifth-worst record in the Majors, Contreras’ days on the North Side might be numbered. Although Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations, declared that this team is “built to win now,” it is certainly not trending in that direction.

“Our goal is to build something really special, just like [it was in 2016],” Hoyer said on May 28. “I think sometimes when you do that, you have to take a long view. Do we want to compete right now? Absolutely.

“We want to make decisions that help this team right now. But there are decisions that we are going to make, that I believe, going back to 2012-2014, that taking a long view is important. The way our game is set up, you’re forced oftentimes to decide -- is this a move that I want to make right now that is going to have a negative impact on our future.”

One of those decisions will be Contreras, who can hit free agency after this season. Last year, the Cubs traded Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Báez -- among others -- to get prospects in return, including Kilian.

Hendricks back in form
Hendricks, who hadn’t pitched since June 1 due to arm/shoulder fatigue, came back and gave the Cubs a sigh of relief. He pitched into the sixth inning, giving up just four hits and one run with six strikeouts and no walks.

“It felt really good coming back,” the right-hander said. “Fatigued a little bit at the end, but overall, I felt health-wise great.”

“The Professor” gave the Cubs a much-needed performance on the mound. With their rotation depleted by injuries -- Marcus Stroman, Drew Smyly and Wade Miley are all on the injured list -- the return of Hendricks promises greater stability, even if it didn’t stop the skid.

Kilian’s second callup a sign of the future
Kilian -- acquired when Bryant was shipped to the Giants -- continues to put up good numbers in Triple-A Iowa and will start Wednesday against the Padres.

And with players like Kilian and Matt Swarmer starting to make their ways to the Majors, it leaves Chicago with more questions: Who else can provide a trade return that includes future big leaguers?

Miley and Smyly, two veterans, have found themselves on the IL more times than the Cubs had hoped coming into the season. And with both of them currently in their 30s, Chicago could try to move both of them.

But for now, the Cubs are focused on trying to get back to winning ways, to not pay attention to the outside noise and to have young guys come up and make a difference.

“The version of [Kilian] that we saw last time was good,” Ross said.