Jed Hoyer Speaks: Darvish Recovery, Bryant Shoulder, Trade Deadline Inaction

Chicago Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer offered thoughts on a range of topics facing his team as they go for the series split today against the Dodgers …

  • With respect to Yu Darvish’s recovery from his triceps inflammation and his, at times, concerning comments about the same, Hoyer concedes that it’s delicate trying to parse exactly what is being said and what is going on (Cubs.com): “It’s challenging sometimes. I do feel the words sometimes that he may use, there is some nuance or some things lost in translation a little bit. I thought he looked really good on Monday night and pitched really well. He felt a little something but the question is whether it’s natural coming back from a rehab assignment and this is normal soreness you go through or something worse than that. That’s the essence of what we’re trying to figure out, whether this is part of the process of coming back.”
  • Everyone will see how Darvish throws in the bullpen today (UPDATE as I’m writing this up: the bullpen did not go well, and Darvish will have to be re-evaluated), and then try to best figure out how he’s feeling as far as a start this weekend goes. Some tightness/soreness/whatever is normal in a muscle as you’re building it back up. The fine line is whether we’re talking about pain, which can throw off performance and long-term health.
  • So, again, per the UPDATE, which came after Hoyer’s comments, Darvish *is* feeling pain in the triceps, and I expect now that he’ll still be out for a while.
  • Speaking of performance and long-term health, Hoyer responded to Kris Bryant’s revelation that he actually first felt his shoulder injury a month ago (ESPN): “It’s the kind of shoulder injury you can manage and deal with until you can’t …. Certainly it was nagging him.” To that end, Hoyer says we can’t know whether it was sapping Bryant’s power or not, but it’s possible.
  • Speaking with Mully and Hanley on 670 The Score, Hoyer reiterated the idea that although the Cubs could look to add at the Trade Deadline, most of what they need is already in-house: “I think we still feel as though this team is really capable and has a chance to be really good, and we feel like the answers are internal. But we’ll obviously try to stay nimble and if something happens on our team or there’s some reason we feel like we need to upgrade a certain position or add to a certain position, I feel like we have the ability to do that. But this year feels different from some in that I really do feel like this team as constructed is capable of doing a lot of really good things.”
  • From where I sit, I just think the Cubs’ potential needs at the deadline are still too difficult to see to comment intelligently. On paper, and given injury timeline returns, there simply may not be a logical move to be made. Or, thanks to additional injury and/or underperformance over the next month, there may be an obvious move to be made.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    Justin Steele Injury Update: New Classification, MRI Tomorrow, IL Stint Coming? Steele and Counsell Speak

    A significant update on Justin Steele came from Craig Counsell tonight after the Cubs extra innings loss in Texas. In short: Yes, a stint on the Injured List is likely for Justin Steele. But we still don't know how severe...

    Enhanced Box Score: Rangers 4, Cubs 3 – March 28, 2024

    It took exactly one day for the Cubs' ace to sustain what may be a significant injury, for their closer to blow a save, for the umpires to significantly impact the outcome of a critical play (this time in the...

    OMG: Michael Busch Scored the 9th Inning, GO-AHEAD Run, Because He Just Never Stopped Running

    That was absolutely incredible. To all the little kids out there, when your coach tells you to never stop running, this is why. Rookie Cubs 1B Michael Busch (the guy the Cubs got from the Dodgers this offseason to be...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Rangers – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    *SHORT COURTS: It's Time To Bring The Home Court, Home! Looking for a unique way to celebrate your athlete or team before you peruse the FIRST CHICAGO CUBS LINEUP of the Year? Don't miss out! For just one more week...

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    Latest News

    Cavaliers vs. 76ers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) are 8-point underdogs against the Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, March 29, 2024. The game starts at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup's point total is set at 212.5.Our computer predictions...

    Heat vs. Trail Blazers Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena as heavy, 14-point underdogs. The contest airs at 8:00 PM ET on...

    Rockets vs. Jazz Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Utah Jazz (29-44) will try to end a seven-game losing streak when they host the Houston Rockets (37-35) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Vivint Smart Home Arena as 7.5-point underdogs. The contest airs at 9:30 PM ET on...

    Bulls vs. Nets Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Chicago Bulls (35-38) hit the court against the Brooklyn Nets (28-45) as 5.5-point favorites on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup has an over/under set at 214.5 points.Before you place an informed wager...

    Suns vs. Thunder Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (50-22) are 2.5-point underdogs against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (43-30) Friday, March 29, 2024 at Paycom Center. The matchup begins at 8:00 PM ET on KSBI. The point total is set...

    Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Minnesota Timberwolves (50-22) are 6.5-point underdogs when they host the Denver Nuggets (51-22) in a battle between the top two teams in the Western at Ball Arena on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 9:00 PM ET on ALT. The...

    Knicks vs. Spurs Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The New York Knicks (44-28) will try to continue a three-game win streak when they visit the San Antonio Spurs (17-56) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at AT&T Center as big, 10-point favorites. The game airs at 8:00 PM ET...

    Kings vs. Mavericks Predictions, Best Bets and Odds – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Dallas Mavericks (43-29) will look to Luka Doncic (first in the league scoring 33.9 points per game) when they try to beat De'Aaron Fox (eighth in the NBA with 26.5 PPG) and the Sacramento Kings (42-30) on Friday, March...

    How to Watch Diamondbacks vs. Rockies: Live Stream or on TV

    On Friday, Corbin Carroll and the Arizona Diamondbacks (1-0) take on Nolan Jones and the Colorado Rockies (0-1), with first pitch scheduled for 9:40 PM ET at Chase Field.If you're trying to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and...

    Guardians vs. Athletics: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Cleveland Guardians (1-0), led by Jose Ramirez, visit Brent Rooker and the Oakland Athletics (0-1) on Friday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.Find out how to watch the Cleveland-Oakland matchup below.When is Guardians vs. Athletics and when does...

    more cubs news