Angels Pitcher Thought He Would Have to Retire Last Year

The Los Angeles Angels signed a number of veterans this offseason, and one of those was right-hander Kyle Hendricks.

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The 34-year-old faced painstaking struggles in 2024, and was even removed from the Chicago Cubs starting rotation in late May after logging a 6.95 ERA.

“From the moment you get up (to the majors), man, anytime you struggle, those thoughts are gonna be in your head,” Hendricks said to The Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher. “It’s the nature of the game. You’re gonna have those negative thoughts. It’s how you get past them.”

Hendricks' early struggles propelled the right-hander to consider retiring, which is certainly fair after a prolific career in Chicago. In 2016, Hendricks was a key piece during the Cubs' historic World Series run.

He produced a 3.48 ERA over 247 games from 2014-23 with Chicago, and so it was no surprise that the veteran's rocky 2024 season discouraged him.

“Anytime you struggle, it’s very difficult, of course,” Hendricks said. “But I look back, man, there were so many positives to come out of it. All the support that I got from number one, my teammates. They were always behind me, teaching me, trying me to trying to get me better. You know, we’re all in it together. The coaching staff, I just can’t thank everybody enough that stuck with me, kept giving me opportunities, trying to figure out just what was going on.”

When the Angels added Hendricks to the rotation this winter, it was with the hope that his best days were not yet behind him. General manager Perry Minasian said the club believed they could help Hendricks tweak his mechanics in an effort to return to the dominant starter he once was.

“He's definitely going to start for us and we did identify some things with his delivery that we felt like were a little different than when he was successful,” Minasian said earlier this offseason.

Even before Hendricks had signed with the Angels, he was trending in the right direction toward the end of last season. By September, the right-hander produced a 2.89 ERA in five starts.

In Cactus League play this spring, Hendricks had a 2.63 ERA through four starts. He will make his final spring training start Friday, but it appears Hendricks could play a pivotal role in the Halos rotation throughout the 2025 season.

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