Kyle Hendricks’ shoulder injury has shifted his focus from this season to next, the last guaranteed year of his contract.

“I need to produce and perform to be a part of this winning culture and this winning that’s going to be coming,” Hendricks said. “I want to be a part of that. So. I’m focusing on myself to do as much as I can to put myself in that position.”

Hendricks revealed Monday that the follow-up MRI he underwent earlier this month showed a capsular tear in his right shoulder, which has lengthened the timeline for his recovery. He’s set to travel to Arizona within the next week or so – “It’s a little bit up in the air” – to continue his rehab progression at the Cubs’ spring training complex.

Hendricks is scheduled to ramp up his strength program for two to four weeks in Arizona. He hopes to start a throwing program before the end of the season.

“Very unfortunate, obviously,” he said. “You just want to pitch, that’s it. I just want to pitch all year, be there for my guys every fifth day, be that consistent competitor. But things get in the way, things happen.”

At first, Hendricks expected his shoulder issue, which he and the team first identified as tendonitis, would subside after rest and a cortisone injection. And his shoulder did feel better for a little while. But after skipping a start in early June, Hendricks made just five more starts.

Two MRIs later, it became clear that the expected four- to six-week timetable would be closer to 12 weeks.

“There’s really not the time to make up, not the time to get back,” Hendricks said. “So, take advantage of fully getting healthy, not trying to push through it at all.”

He will end this season, one he’d expected to use to bounce back from his 2021 struggles, with just 16 starts. Hendricks, the Cubs’ longest-tenured pitcher, has a $16 million club option for 2024. His name had started to pop up in trade rumors before he went on the injured list.

“I don’t take any of these days for granted,” Hendricks said. “I would love to be here. I’ve always said that. This heaven, really, heaven on earth. So, I wouldn’t change anything. But it’s a business, things happen. And I’m okay with that. I if you end up being somewhere else, you just make the most of it.”

Now, this coming season will be important for potential extension talks. And if those don’t go anywhere, it will be one that sets his free agency prospects.

“Those are the conversations we had from the top down,” Hendricks said, “that, for everyone, no matter where this team goes with their route, my value needs to be at its highest next year for any direction we’re gonna take.”

That process starts with getting fully healthy.

The past few seasons have been tough on pitchers. It’s hard to pinpoint the root of injuries like Hendricks’ shoulder strain, which occurred over time rather than on one pitch. And in 2020, Hendricks was one of the Cubs pitchers who threw the most during the COVID-19 shutdown, cognizant of the issues that could spring from a dramatic change in workload. But the back-and-forth from a short 2020 season to a full 2021 season couldn’t have helped.

Now, he’s facing a similar challenge, going from an injury-shorted 2022 season to what he hopes to be a full and fruitful 2023 season.

At least he has a solid timeline in front of him, which wasn’t the case earlier this month.

“Now that we know what it is,” Hendricks said, “we just attack what we have in front of us.”

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The Cubs are calling up Javier Assad to start Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Cardinals, Cubs manager David Ross announced. Right-hander Adrian Sampson is scheduled for Game 2.

“First and foremost, he’s pitching really, really well,” Cubs vice president of player development Jared Banner said. “That’s the first thing, that performances stood out both at the Double-A and Triple-A level. I think on a deeper level, he’s added velocity this year that’s made them somewhat of a different pitcher, raised his ceiling a bit. So, looking forward to seeing him tomorrow, he’s going to hopefully attack the zone with this stuff, he commands the ball really well, changes speeds, does everything that we like to see. So hopefully, it’ll translate well.”

Assad has a 2.66 ERA in Double-A and Triple-A combined this season.

Expect more debuts as the season winds down and the Cubs continue to navigate injuries to pitchers Kyle Hendricks, who is done for the season, Wade Miley, whose timetable remains unclear, and Keegan Thompson, who landed on the 15-day IL (low back) this weekend.

“It’s fun,” Banner said of the call-ups. It’s a testament to all the staff down below in the minor-leauges working hard that don’t get some of the recognition. But on days, like tomorrow, they get to turn on their TV and feel really proud of the work they put in.”

Pujols hits another milestone

Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols is approaching the 700-home run mark. But before Monday, he’d never hit one off Cubs starter Drew Smyly.

That changed in the seventh inning of the Cubs’ 1-0 win/loss when Pujols logged the only run of the game on a solo shot. With that home run, Pujols has homered off 449 different pitchers, tying Barry Bonds for the most in MLB history. It was Pujols’ 693rd career homer.

“He’s Albert Pujols, he’s the GOAT,” Smyly said. “He finally got me.”

Smyly, who held the Cardinals to one run through seven innings, hit a milestone of his own on Monday. To open the third inning, he struck out Lars Notbaar for the southpaw’s 900th career strikeout. He recorded six strikeouts in all.

Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery, however, threw a complete-game shutout, the first of his career, and allowed just one hit. It was the first complete-game shutout against the Cubs since Cole Hamels’ no-hitter in 2015.

Alzolay on assignment

Adbert Alzolay, who has been sidelined all season with a strained right shoulder, began a rehab assignment with the Arizona Complex League on Monday. Any innings he can build up at the end of the season can serve as a jumping off point next year for the young pitcher.

Prospect update

Outfield prospect Brennen Davis (back surgery) will join Single-A South Bend on Tuesday, Banner announced. Davis started his rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League a week ago.

“He’s not going to be there long,” Banner said. “The goal is to get him up to Triple-A in short order.”

Catcher Miguel Amaya, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, left a Double-A game on Friday with a dislocated left ring finger. Banner estimated that Amaya will be out for about a week.

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The value of the Chicago Bears has skyrocketed

The Chicago Bears are an important historical relic for the NFL. A rusty relic that comes with a lot of fans and prestige that makes the franchise one of the most valuable in the league. The Bears are one of only two charter members of the NFL who still exist.

Being located in Chicago, the Bears have the advantage of being in the third most populous city in the US. The sheer amount of fans the Bears have helps to keep the value of the team high.

Forbes recently released the valuation for all 32 NFL teams. The Bears have a surprising value compared to last season. In 2021, The Bears had a valuation of $4.075 billion coming off of a pandemic year and were the seventh most valuable team, according to Forbes.

Coming into this season, Forbes ranks the Bears as the fifth most valuable team at $5.8 billion. It’s a one-year change of 42 percent. Forbes gave a few reasons why the Bears’ value may have. increased so much:

The Bears are the lone NFL team in the country’s third-largest market, a big attraction for a wealthy buyer looking to break into the league. In addition, the Bears are moving toward getting either a new stadium in suburban Arlington Heights or a renovation of Soldier Field. Both scenarios would add a lot of money to the team’s coffers.

Values aren’t turning into wins for the Chicago Bears

These numbers might be great for a family looking to sell a franchise. For Bears fans, however, these numbers might leave them scratching their heads. The Bears haven’t been as successful in the past decade as the other franchises listed in the top five.

The Bears have won one divisional championship since 2010. They’ve watched their rival, the Green Bay Packers, dominate them on the field and in the division since. Yet the Packers are only listed as the 15th most valuable NFL team.

It makes one wonder if the Chicago Bears are taking advantage of the fans hard earned cash by putting a subpar product on the field. The 2022 Bears could be a disgrace to the city and its considerably too-loyal fanbase if national analysts and Las Vegas betting professionals are correct about their predictions for this season.

This is unacceptable for the Chicago Bears to be this dismal for so long with their valuation being in the top five. The franchise owes it to its fans, who keep giving money to the team that rakes in over half a billion in revenue, to win more games. But hey, as long as fans keep purchasing jerseys to sit and watch this crap, why should the Bears try and be competitive?

 

 

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When Willson Contreras slugged his 20th home run of 2022 last week, he became the 17th Cubs player with at least four seasons of 20 or more homers.

The leaders are Ernie Banks and Billy Williams with 13 seasons each, Sammy Sosa with 12 and Ron Santo with 11.

Four Cubs from the 2016 World Series champions are in the club. Anthony Rizzo hit 20 or more seven times with the Cubs, and Kris Bryant and Javy Baez did it four times each to precede Contreras.

Among 20th- and 21st-century players, those with at least 10 seasons of 20 or more homers have four of the five highest Fangraphs position-player WARs in Cubs history. Santo, at 71.9, is topped only by 19th-century star Cap Anson (81.8). Banks (63.3) is second, Sosa (60.7) fourth and Williams (58.9) fifth.

Ryne Sandberg, with six seasons of 20 or more homers with the Cubs, is between Banks and Sosa at 61.0.

The 2016 champions didn’t have enough time together to reach that level. Rizzo (32.8) stands 16th, Bryant (31.1) 17th and Baez (19.9) 30th. The count continues for Contreras, who is 41st at 15.4.

The other three are building numbers, too, but with other teams and with mixed success.

Rizzo: A prime member of Aaron Judge’s supporting cast on the American League East-leading Yankees, Rizzo is tied with the Twins’ Byron Buxton for eighth in the majors and third in the AL with 28 homers (through Sunday). Judge owns the category with 46. The Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, who had three seasons of 20 or more homers with the Cubs, leads the National League with 34.

Dealt to the Yankees last July, Rizzo homered eight times for them in 2021 after hitting 14 for the Cubs.

Rizzo’s batting average, a career .265, has dipped to .221 this season, but he has 52 walks and has been hit by 17 pitches for a .337 on-base percentage. With an .828 OPS, Rizzo has 136 weighted runs created plus, 36% better than the major-league average.

Bryant: Traded to the Giants last July, Bryant added to his homer list by hitting seven for them after hitting 18 for the Cubs in 2021.

He signed with the Rockies, but an anticipated power surge at Coors Field hasn’t happened. Injuries kept Bryant sidelined for most of May and June, and he has been out in August. Bryant has only 181 plate appearances. His five homers all came in July.

Hitting .306/.376/.475 for an .851 OPS, Bryant isn’t far off his career .879 OPS. With a 125 wRC+, Bryant has produced when he has been in the lineup.

Baez: He gave the Mets a good couple of months after the Cubs traded him last July, hitting .299/.371/.515 with nine homers that pushed his season total to 31.

It has been a different story with the Tigers in 2022, however. After an .826 OPS in April, Baez dropped to .681 by May 5 and hasn’t seen .700 again this season.

Now at .222/.264/.369 for a .633 OPS with 11 homers, Baez has been nowhere near what the Tigers anticipated. His 79 wRC+ is 21% below that of an average hitter, and adding to his list of 20-homer seasons is a long shot.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech left the Monday’s game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium with a sore left knee.

The Sox said Kopech is being further evaluated.

Kopech appeared to be in discomfort after taking his warmup pitches on the mound before the bottom of the first inning and then allowed the four batters he faced to reach base.

Sox trainer James Kruk, pitching coach Ethan Katz and manager Tony La Russa went to the mound after Kopech took his warmup tosses. Kopech then gave up a walk, hit a batter, allowed a single and walked another batter.

Kopech’s fastball velocity was down a couple of ticks in the low 90s.

Kruk, Katz and La Russa came out again and Kopech was pulled in favor of Jimmy Lambert, who gave up two singles and a walk before striking out Nicky Lopez and getting rookie Drew Waters to rap into an inning-ending double play. The Royals led 4-0 after one inning.

Kopech has been dealing with a sore knee this season since he left a start against the Rangers in the first inning on June 12.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — White Sox right-hander Johnny Cueto was named the American League Player of the Week for the period of Aug. 15-21, Major League Baseball announced Monday.

Cueto got wins in both of his starts, posting a 0.54 ERA across 16 2/3 innings. He struck out five while allowing 11 hits and two walks against the Astros and Guardians, coming within one out of a complete-game shutout Saturday in Cleveland.

Cueto did not allow a runner to advance beyond second base on Saturday at Cleveland.

Cueto is the first White Sox player to win a weekly honor since Jos? Abreu last May and the first pitcher since left-hander Carlos Rod?n after Rodon pitched a no-hitter in April 2021.

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In the four years since leaving he went undrafted out of Ole Miss, linebacker DeMarquis Gates has been a member of the Browns (for three weeks), Commanders (for two months) and Vikings (for five months). He’s played for the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Alliance of American Football’s Memphis Express, the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks, The Spring League’s TSL Blues and, this spring, the USFL champion Birmingham Stallions. His all-USFL performance landed him a tryout on the Bears, who signed him earlier this month.

Gates knows how tenuous a pro football job can be– and what’s at stake in the next week. The Bears have to trim their roster from 85 players to 80 on Tuesday, and then, dramatically, from 80 to 53 exactly one week later, on Aug. 30.

“Unless you’re one of those top-notch players with a big contract, you always have that in the back of your mind … ” said Gates, who has eight tackles, and three for loss, in two preseason games. “You’re competing with yourself, to put your best out on the field. Of course you think about it.”

With major moves looming, here’s a look at the Bears’ roster — and predictions for who will make the team:

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks (2 keepers/3 on roster)

They’re keeping: Justin Fields, Trevor Siemian

They’re cutting: Nathan Peterman

So far in camp: Fields played about a quarter in the preseason opener and then only one drive five days later. Siemian has looked sharp leading the second unit, posting a passer rating of 102.8 and throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions. Peterman seems destined for a practice-squad spot.

The big question: It’s the franchise’s existential question: can Fields show the Bears that he’s worth building around while playing alongside one of the league’s worst rosters?

Running backs (6/7)

They’re keeping: David Montgomery, Khalil Herbert, Trestan Ebner, Darrynton Evans, FB Khari Blasingame, Demontre Tuggle

They’re cutting: FB Jake Bargas

So far in camp: Montgomery has yet to play in a game, and Herbert has looked sharp in his place. The speedy Ebner has been an impressive change-of-pace option in camp, rushing 15 times for 60 yards –including a 27-yarder — and catching a 12-yard touchdown pass in preseason play before hurting his ankle against the Seahawks.

The big question: Can the Bears use special teams snaps to justify keeping Evans, Tuggle and Ebner?

Wide receivers (6/12)

They’re keeping: Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown, Velus Jones, N’Keal Harry, Tajae Sharpe

They’re cutting: Dazz Newsome, Nsimba Webster, Isaiah Coulter, Chris Finke, Kevin Shaa, Dante Pettis

So far in camp: It’s been ugly. Pringle (quad) hasn’t played in two-and-a-half weeks. Harry had ankle surgery and won’t return until at least October. Jones missed the first preseason game with an injury, and Sharpe missed the second. Newsome has had catching issues.

The big question: How many new receivers will the Bears add–via trade, waiver claims or free agency– after cut day? The over-under is 1 1/2 — their current unit just isn’t acceptable, and they’ll need to replace Harry’s roster spot after they move him to injured reserve..

Tight ends (4/5)

They’re keeping: Cole Kmet, James O’Shaughnessy, Ryan Griffin, Chase Allen

They’re cutting: TE/FB Jake Tonges

So far in camp: Kmet was impressive in his first preseason action Thursday. O’Shaughnessy will be his backup, while Griffin has yet to play in a preseason game. Allen’s stock climbed against the Seahawks when, one week after playing one special teams snap, he logged 24.

The big question: Are the Bears comfortable with their depth? Griffin is in Year 10 and O’Shaughnessy in Year 8; between the two of them, they’ve posted more than 320 receiving yards in a season only once.

Offensive line (9/16)

They’re keeping: LT Braxton Jones, LG Cody Whitehair, C Lucas Patrick, RG Teven Jenkins, RT Riley Reiff, T Larry Borom, C/G Sam Mustipher, G Michael Schofield, G Ja’Tyre Carter

They’re cutting: Zach Thomas, Lachavious Simmons, Dieter Eiselen, Jean Delance, Julien Davenport, Shon Coleman, Corey Dublin

So far in camp: The Bears signed Reiff and Schofield on the eve of camp. Patrick hurt his thumb on the second day of practice but could return by the opener. Jenkins went a week without practicing but has since been moved from tackle to guard. Borom is playing first-team right tackle, a bizarre development given that the Bears are paying Reiff up to $7 million in playing time bonuses.

The big question: Do the Bears believe in Jenkins, or are they showcasing him for a trade? If it’s the former, that’s a huge win for the Bears coaching staff — he’s 24 with a pedigree, and just a few weeks ago seemed like a lost cause.

DEFENSE

Defensive line (8/14)

They’re keeping: Robert Quinn, Justin Jones, Angelo Blackson, Trevis Gipson, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Mario Edwards, Khyiris Tonga, Dominique Robinson,

They’re cutting: Mike Pennel, Charles Snowden, LaCale London, Micah Dew-Treadway, Sam Kamara, Trevon Coley

So far in camp: Once Quinn reported on time and said he wanted to play for the Bears despite their rebuilding efforts, there was little else to be settled on the line. Coley leads the team with three sacks, but he’ll likely be on the outside looking in.

The big question: Will the Bears consider trading Quinn in the middle of the season? If so, they’ve got two months to develop a pass-rusher behind him. Robinson, a receiver-turned-edge-rusher, is an intriguing developmental project, but might not be ready for steady playing time.

Linebackers (5/7)

They’re keeping: Roquan Smith, Nicholas Morrow, Matthew Adams, Joe Thomas, Jack Sanborn

They’re cutting: Caleb Johnson, DeMarquis Gates

So far in camp: Smith “held in” for a contract extension, issued a trade demand, insulted his bosses, had business associates calling other teams in a violation of NFL rules, and eventually decided to return to practice to play out his deal. Beside that? Sanborn, a Lake Zurich native and all-conference player at Wisconsin, has played his way onto the roster as a special teamer.

The big question: Will the contract snub motivate Smith — or poison the Bears’ long-term relationship with their best player? The Bears can give him the franchise tag in 2023 and 2024.

Cornerbacks (5/11)

They’re keeping: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Kindle Vildor, Thomas Graham, Duke Shelley

They’re cutting: Tavon Young, Lamar Jackson, BoPete Keyes, Jaylon Jones, Greg Stroman, Devontae Harris

So far in camp: Gordon has proven himself as the Bears’ starting slot cornerback, one of the most critical parts of Matt Eberflus’ defense. That leaves a starting outside spot open opposite Johnson –likely for Vildor. Time is running out for Graham, who has missed most of the preseason with a hamstring injury.

The big question: Can Gordon survive the rigors of the season? He missed time in the offseason program and six training camp practices with injuries. “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem,” he said.

Safeties (5/7)

They’re keeping: Eddie Jackson, Jaquan Brisker, DeAndre Houston-Carson, Dane Cruikshank, Elijah Hicks

They’re cutting: A.J. Thomas, Jon Alexander

So far in camp: Brisker was a preseason standout before hurting his right thumb in the exhibition opener and requiring surgery. He hopes to return by Sept. 11. Houston-Carson is filling in for him and has also played slot cornerback.

The big question: Can Jackson, who hasn’t intercepted a pass since 2019, return to the playmaking style that defined his first three seasons? With Brisker at strong safety, he should get plenty of chances to play centerfield.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3/3)

They’ll likely keep: 3

They’re keeping: K Cairo Santos, P Trenton Gill, LS Patrick Scales

So far in camp: Santos has made all four field goals and all four PATs and Gill looks worthy of the Bears’ draft selection.

The big question: Who’s kicks off? Gill has kicked off five times for 66.4 yards, and Santos six for 66.3.

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