CHICAGO — The loud boos at the Friendly Confines weren’t only directed at Héctor Neris. The worst loss of the season so far — Monday’s meltdown against the San Francisco Giants — was emblematic of several larger issues. By now, this team should be better. Here are four takeaways on a Cubs off day:
The Cubs don’t have a true closer controversy
The drama of a closer controversy would require a star reliever on the decline, a hotshot coming to take his job, late-season pressure and a manager losing control of the situation. Also, the Cubs don’t believe in spending big money on their bullpen. For all of their gains in player development, getting noticed by Pitching Ninja isn’t the same as handling the ninth inning at Wrigley Field.
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It’s still only June. And Craig Counsell, the sport’s highest-paid manager, has the authority to make all these decisions and the credibility to do it his way.
Considering how this uneven season has unfolded, Neris probably will get more chances to close out games. Counsell made it sound like Neris will remain in that mix. But the Cubs won their first three-game series in more than a month by getting saves from Keegan Thompson and Colten Brewer within 19 hours.
Thompson, who has bounced between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa for years, delivered a stress-free ninth inning in Tuesday’s 5-2 victory. Brewer, a 31-year-old reliever who signed a minor-league deal this past offseason, worked around two walks to get the final three outs in Wednesday’s 6-5 win over the Giants. The Cubs are now 36-39 overall and 14-17 in one-run games. Acquiring a new closer could be on the trade deadline agenda.
“This was just kind of need-based the last couple days,” Counsell said. “We have to just look at it. We’re going to need all the guys down there. I know that. We just got to keep trying to put them in good spots.”
Kyle Hendricks feels he doesn’t deserve anything
The standing ovation for Hendricks on Wednesday afternoon wasn’t only about his five no-hit innings against the Giants. The last player remaining from the 2016 World Series team will forever be a fan favorite. The crowd also recognized the moment after how far he had fallen.
This was classic Hendricks, getting eight strikeouts and keeping the Giants off-balance until he allowed two hits and a run in the sixth inning before walking off the mound to loud cheers. This marked his first start since May 17, when his ERA had ballooned to 10.57 and it looked like his days with the Cubs might be numbered.
Hendricks went to the bullpen without complaint, kept working on his game, and began to rebuild his confidence. When Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks went on the injured list, Hendricks was ready to compete.
“I was so far from who I was as a pitcher that I really had to commit to my process,” Hendricks said. “Commit to getting better every day, almost reset and restart your career. My focus wasn’t necessarily to get back there (in the rotation). You don’t want it under those circumstances.”
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Ben Brown might be a lot closer to returning
Counsell chose his words carefully while giving an update on Brown, who had been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his neck. It was initially described as a rare injury that would come with an extended absence and an uncertain timetable. However, after reviewing multiple medical opinions, the Cubs cleared Brown to begin a throwing program.
“There was something in the X-rays that at first was concerning to the doctors,” Counsell said. “And then after looking at it further, it wasn’t concerning.”
Brown, a hard-throwing, 6-foot-6 right-hander, has shown flashes of being a top-of-the-rotation starter. When healthy, he could also be unleashed in shorter bursts out of the bullpen, possibly as a closer. Even before this setback, the Cubs were cognizant of managing the young pitcher’s workload.
“They called it a lesion,” Counsell said. “The doctors really struggled with this one. But we think the doctors are all on the same page and have come to a good answer here.
“He’s not symptom-free, but the initial diagnosis is not something we’re operating under right now, which is good news, so Ben will really kind of move forward as tolerated. He’s feeling good. We think that as this goes, this can move on much more quickly.”
Miguel Amaya still has a lot to prove
Whenever Hendricks is asked about Amaya, he raves about the young catcher. Amaya deserves a share of the credit when the Cubs consistently get great performances from their starting pitchers. Amaya has more upside than Yan Gomes, the veteran catcher the Cubs just designated for assignment to sign Tomás Nido. But Amaya’s follow-up to a good rookie season has been disappointing.
Amaya is hitting .190 with a .518 OPS, which would be easier to overlook if the rest of the lineup was clicking and his overall defense graded out as a plus. Counsell understands that part of the organization’s plan is to let young players learn on the job. The manager is also realistic, acknowledging “there’s a limit” to that patience.
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“He is getting better in this process,” Counsell said, praising Amaya for his game-calling and receiving. “Throwing has been a struggle. That’s a team thing. Pitchers and Miguel contribute to that. That’s certainly an area of improvement. It’s not really arm strength. It’s some accuracy issues he’s had with the throwing that he can make better.
“There’s a good offensive player in there, but sometimes you got to go through this to get there. Miguel is getting good experience here. I think a good player will come out the other side of that. But obviously, we have expectations to win games.”
(Top photo of Colten Brewer celebrating with catcher Miguel Amaya: Kamil Krzaczynski: / USA Today)