Much like Cubs, Hendricks looking to get back to winning ways
Standing in the middle of a packed Sheraton Grand Chicago ballroom at last weekend's Cubs Convention, Kyle Hendricks saw plenty of familiar faces.
In one corner, Andre Dawson, Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins were holding court.
Ryne Sandberg and Kerry Wood mingled at the popular winter fan gathering, which was back following a two-year absence.
Shawon Dunston and Mark Grace, who will be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame this summer, also worked the room.
Hendricks saw them all, but he did notice Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Kyle Schwarber and other key members of the 2016 World Series team were nowhere to be found.
The 33-year-old starting pitcher is the last player remaining from that star-studded Cubs roster that snapped a 108-year championship drought.
"That is weird, man," Hendricks said. "Very weird. I don't know where the time's gone, to be honest. We've kind of moved past that. It's very weird to be the last one standing. I guess I just feel so lucky.
"I'm so lucky to be able to call Chicago home for this long. They've embraced me like family."
Hendricks - who has been in the Cubs' rotation since 2014 - hasn't been so lucky on the mound in recent seasons.
He won 14 games in 2021, but was 1-3 with a 7.40 ERA over the final two months.
Last year, Hendricks was 4-6 with a 4.80 ERA in early July when he was shut down for the season with a capsular tear in his right shoulder.
He was able to avoid surgery, but Hendricks didn't throw again until Dec. 1. The right-hander is thrilled to be on the comeback trail.
"I've never gone that long without throwing," Hendricks said. "I just feel so healthy and good. Just being able to pick up a baseball and go through the motion of it and feel healthy was a big step. I'm definitely 100% healthy.
"Now, it's just a ramp-up of my throwing program. I really have to trust the doctors and the trainers we have. They've seen a lot of these and they've been through it before, many times. Obviously, this is my first."
The shoulder is feeling better, but that doesn't mean Hendricks is going to be on the Cubs' active roster coming out of spring training.
"He'll be a little bit behind," president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. "We aren't going to push it."
Hendricks has been throwing off flat ground for nearly two months and he hopes to get back up on the mound at some point in February or March.
"We're going to see where we're at from there," he said. "I'm pushing and I'm hoping to be ready as soon as I can. Obviously, the focus for this team is going to be where we're at at the end of the year. I think we have such a good chance to take this division so I want to be as healthy and as good as I can and be ready by the end of this year."
The past two seasons were tough ones for the Cubs, but additions like Dansby Swanson, Jameson Taillon, Cody Bellinger and Trey Mancini have lifted spirits as training camp nears.
"There's always ups and downs," Hendricks said. "We've had a lot of ups, we rode some highs there for a lot of years. Personally, I also had some lows the past few years. I've got to be out there and give quality. I want to be out there and be that consistent guy every fifth day.
"Everything kind of goes in a cycle. I'm really happy that we're at this point in the process, bringing in guys where it's clearly all about winning. I love the chance we're going to have and seeing where this team can go."