The Streaky Cubs, Russell’s Return, Hendricks’ Health, and Other Bullets

I am on my way home from Chicago, so I’m gonna drop some quick Bullets from one of my stops …

  • And just like that, the Cubs are on another losing streak after dropping their third straight yesterday. That’s a three-game losing streak following a five-game winning streak following a six-game losing streak following a three-game winning streak. Start a better one today, gents.
  • From my perspective, I thought the Cubs pitched reasonably well in the game, overall, when considering the circumstances of a fill-in starter. Offensively, it one of those games where they simply didn’t get the big hit when they had the opportunity. Usually when you draw nine walks and two HBP in a game, you score more than three runs. Alas.
  • (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

  • As you saw in the lineup, Addison Russell has returned to shortstop, from which I don’t know that we should take much more than he’s still on the Cubs, he’s active to play, so sometimes he’s going to start. The Cubs, Joe Maddon, and Russell are, for now, attempting to proceed as normal against the backdrop of an unknown MLB inquiry into domestic violence allegations (CSN). For his part, and to the extent we can look at the baseball side of things, Russell returns to a season-long slump, to which he is not willing to chalk up to off-the-field troubles: “There’s periods of times where you’re struggling, you’re scuffling and sometimes you stink,” Russell told CSN. “I know that being young in the major leagues is gonna come with a lot of adversity. I’m here for a reason – it’s because I’m good.”
  • Kyle Hendricks says he could probably have pitched yesterday if he really had to push it, but since there wasn’t that need, the Cubs and Hendricks thought it would be best to give him a week to let the inflammation in the tendon in his right middle finger to die down (CSN). Generally speaking, given the Cubs’ desire to give Mike Montgomery starts anyway, and given Hendricks’ diminished velocity this season after an extra long 2016 season, it’s probably not bad to give Hendricks a break no matter what.
  • Seth Frankoff made his big league debut yesterday, and although it featured a home run, it wasn’t all that bad – and he had a chance encounter after the game:
  • Tommy Birch has the story of Pierce Johnson’s eyesight, and how things have improved on that front.
  • I have laughed many laughs:
  • An indoor TV antenna is on sale at Amazon today if you want to consider going that route.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and @Brett_A_Taylor.

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