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Hendricks to get starting shot

Cubs drop 5-4 game to Diamondbacks

The Cubs' present and future met Friday, at least as far as news headlines went.

No doubt Cubs fans are tired of looking at pitcher Edwin Jackson, who started Friday night's game at Arizona as baseball resumed after the all-star break.

At the same time, fans are excited about right-hander Kyle Hendricks.

Jackson, who has been a major disappointment after signing a four-year, $52 million contract before last year, worked 5⅓ innings and gave up 7 hits and 3 runs hits against the D'Backs, who won 5-4. Anthony Rizzo hit his 21st and 22nd homers for the Cubs.

Before the game, Cubs manager Rick Renteria told reporters at Chase Field that Hendricks would start Tuesday's game at Wrigley Field against the Padres and be given a shot at the fourth starter's spot.

“The thought is to allow him to slot into that spot and see how he does,” Renteria said.

Hendricks, 24, was the Cubs' minor-league pitcher of the year last season as he went a combined 13-4 with a 2.00 ERA between Class AA Tennessee and Class AAA Iowa.

He is 10-5 with a 3.59 ERA this season at Iowa. The Cubs called Hendricks up to start and make his big-league debut July 10 at Cincinnati. Hendricks got a no-decision as he worked 6 innings and gave up 4 runs in a 12-inning, 6-4 Cubs victory.

Still to be determine is who will get the fifth starter's spot in the wake of the trade of Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland on July 4. The Cubs did not announce that Friday, but the candidates include Tsuyoshi Wada, Chris Rusin, Dallas Beeler and Dan Straily — all of whom are at Iowa.

Friday was another good night for Cubs prospects in the minor leagues. Kris Bryant hit his 11th home run for Iowa at Round Rock, giving him 33 between Iowa and Tennessee.

Javier Baez, who has just moved from shortstop to second base at Iowa, hit his 16th Friday. The Cubs are deep at shortstop, with Starlin Castro at the big-league level, Baez at Iowa and recently acquired Addison Russell at Tennessee.

However, Renteria told the media Friday that Baez's recent move from short to second does not signal an imminent call-up to the Cubs.

“The move is to allow him to get over there (at second),” Renteria said. “It's good to see that he's moving around but from my perspective, it's not an anticipatory position for me to think I'm going to see him (with the Cubs).”

Russell hit his first home run Thursday for Tennessee, which was postponed Friday. This year's No. 1 draft pick, Kyle Schwarber, hit his first home run Friday for Class A Daytona, giving him 9 between Daytona and the Kane County Cougars.

On top of all that, the Cubs will have a decision to make regarding rookie infielder Arismendy Alcantara, who started again Friday, in his sixth game with the Cubs since last week's call-up from Iowa. Alcantara got off to a hot start, and he'll make it tough for the Cubs to send him back, even as infielder-outfielder Emilio Bonifacio gets close to coming back from the disabled list after suffering for more than a month with an oblique injury.

The Cubs' Anthony Rizzo, right, celebrates with Arismendy Alcantara after Rizzo hit a 2-run homer in the fourth inning Friday night against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Associated Press
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