Healthy again, Hendricks enjoying normal Spring Training

MESA, Ariz. -- It’s barely March but it’s already been a bright spring for Kyle Hendricks.

The right-hander made his second Spring Training start Sunday against the Guardians. He threw a little bit of everything in his bag, worked on fundamentals and was all smiles afterward in the Cubs’ 5-3 win.

The last man standing from the 2016 World Series team, Hendricks tossed 52 pitches over three innings of work. Going into his 11th year with the North Siders, the rest of his stat line -- three earned runs, five hits -- is meaningless as he tries out specific pitches.

What matters is that he’s here and he’s healthy.

The same couldn't be said a year ago when a right shoulder injury kept him from being in Chicago for Opening Day for the first time since he was a 24-year-old prospect at Triple-A Iowa in 2014.

“It’s so much fun. The environment, being back out there with the fans, you feel the energy even out here in Arizona,” Hendricks said. “It just feels more like a real game being back out there and a normal spring.”

It’s hardly just a celebration in the sun.

Hendricks threw a couple curveballs and his changeup was, by his own assessment, “really good" -- and that’s just so far.

“Really establishing my heater, getting that into the bottom of the zone,” he said. “That was such a big key for me last year.”

Only one pitch didn’t cooperate with his Sunday plans.

"The four-seam today down and away to the lefty just wasn’t quite getting there," he said. "One thing to work on going forward, but if it’s only one thing to work on that’s not terrible for right now.”

Hendricks was the Cubs’ Opening Day starter in 2020, '21 and '22. Although manager Craig Counsell hasn’t named a starter for the opener on March 28 in Texas, the new skipper has preached all spring that the rotation will likely change throughout the season anyhow. Even choosing an Opening Day starter will be a rotation-based decision, one that won't be centered around one player.

“Kyle is just so unique. And how he does it is just rare,” said Counsell, who matched up against Hendricks plenty of times during his time as the Brewers' manager. “He doesn’t have any peers almost in how he’s going through it. But he’s a teacher for that reason. We all learn from it. He’s quiet but open to talk, and when he does people learn from him.”

Mastrobuoni shines on both ends

David Bote launched his third home run of the spring in the seventh inning, but it was Miles Mastrobuoni wowing the home crowd of 12,524 on Sunday.

Normally patrolling the infield, the utility player played left field. In the top of the third, Mastrobuoni leapt up against the wall to attempt to make a spectacular leaping catch, banging his head into the fencing in the process. Mastrobuoni didn't make the catch as the collision caused the ball to fall out of his glove, but the effort prevented a home run, limiting Austin Hedges to a double. Counsell and a trainer came out to check out Mastrobuoni for a few minutes and he ultimately stayed in the game.

A half-inning later, Mastrobuoni led off the bottom of the third with a first-pitch homer to right-center, his first of the spring.

“Unbelievable man,” Hendricks said. “Just that effort alone -- but in the glove and robbed it and head on the fence? I told him, 'Take it easy man, it’s spring. I appreciate the effort but I’ll take it in-season.'”