Getty Javier Assad
The Chicago Cubs‘ pitching rotation has already taken plenty of blows this season. From Opening Day starter Justin Steele landing on the IL for at least a month to veteran Kyle Hendricks putting up the worst stats of his career, the start of 2024 certainly hasn’t gone to plan for the Cubs. Fortunately, 26-year-old Javier Assad has stepped up to fill the gap.
After six starts this season, Assad is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts. His ERA ranks him sixth in the National League among all starters with at least 1.0 inning pitched per team game, and he ranks second on the Cubs only behind Japanese pitcher Shōta Imanaga, who has a 0.98 ERA in 27.2 innings.
As if that’s not enough to prove Assad’s dominance, the right-hander’s 2.76 career ERA through his first 23 MLB starts (2022-24) ranks him eighth in Cubs franchise history, per Marquee Sports Network, and is the fifth-lowest among MLB starters (minimum 23 starts) during that span, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro.
Javier Assad is one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball 🔥
Going into 2024, Assad had to fight for his position in the Cubs’ starting rotation in spring training, beating out a slew of other contenders including Hayden Wesneski and Drew Smyly. Starter Jameson Taillon’s injury gave Assad an opportunity to prove himself, but even after securing a position to start the season, there was no guarantee of whether he’d stay in the rotation once Taillon returned. After 30 games, things have changed.
Even with Taillon now back in the rotation and Steele likely to return in the next week, Assad is almost certain to be staying put. To make space, it’s likely that either Hendricks will be moved to the bullpen when he returns from the IL or Jordan Wicks will be sent down to Triple-A. Regardless, if the Cubs lock in Assad alongside Steele, Imanaga, and Taillon for the long haul, it’ll make for a fierce starting rotation to move forward this season.
Kyle Hendricks Hoping to Reset on IL, But Isn’t Using Excuses for His Underperformance
The Cubs have put Kyle Hendricks on the Injured List with a back issue, but on April 24, the veteran pitcher stressed his injury isn’t the sole reason for his poor performance.
“You can’t use excuses,” Hendricks told The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney. “Absolutely, 100 percent, there’s a lot of other things playing into that.”
After five starts this season, Hendricks has a career-worst 12.00 ERA and 2.10 WHIP, having allowed 28 earned runs including 8 homers in just 21 innings on the mound. It’s a disappointing fall from grace for the 34-year-old, who has been a mainstay of the Cubs’ rotation for a decade and helped win the World Series title for Chicago in 2016.
According to Mooney, Hendricks is hoping his time on the IL will serve as a reset of sorts. After undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in 2022 and subsequently missing the start of 2023, it was clear the veteran was hoping for a comeback year in 2024, and so far, it certainly hasn’t worked out that way.
“When things start going bad, the tendency is to have that snowball effect,” Hendricks told Mooney. “One thing starts to go bad, your mental thoughts kind of get out of whack.”
“It’s just simplifying all those thoughts, taking it one pitch at a time again,” Hendricks continued. “And having that positive self-talk that you can really lock in on and trust. That’s going to be part of the work going forward.”
Cubs’ Bullpen Continues to Be the Team’s Weak Spot
Despite Chicago’s starting rotation firming up, the team’s bullpen continues to be a major weak spot in their roster. As of May 1, the Cubs’ bullpen is ranked 20th in MLB with a combined 4.40 ERA, making it abundantly clear that acquiring a top reliever needs to be a priority at the trade deadline.
After 12.2 innings on the mound, closer Adbert Alzolay has allowed 5 home runs and leads MLB in blown saves, having closed only three out of his seven opportunities (43%). Ex-Houston Astros closer Héctor Neris, who the Cubs signed to a one-year, $9 million contract on February 1, has also had an unexpectedly disappointing start to the season, posting a 3.60 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 10 innings after allowing 7 hits and 4 earned runs.
Mark Leiter Jr. has been the lone bright spot in the bullpen so far this season, with a 0.69 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 13 innings on the mound, but he alone isn’t going to be enough to keep the Cubs in contention this season.
The 2024 trade deadline is still months away, but when the time comes, the Cubs will almost certainly be targeting a reliever to bolster their bullpen. The Chicago White Sox‘s Michael Kopech and the Cleveland Guardians‘ Emmanuel Clase could both be fits, if made available by their respective teams.