We’re eager to see Kyle Hendricks’ velocity after his fastball averaged 85 MPH last outing. It was only 11 days ago when Hendricks opposed Gerrit Cole, who pitched well against the Cubs by throwing six innings, walking two batters, and striking out five Cubs on the way to allowing two runs.
Baez gets a day off against the hard-throwing Cole, while Almora slots into the ninth spot. Maddon, on 670 The Score this morning, noted that Baez will get hot at some point and his earl season struggles might be a result of a “residual World Baseball Classic” mindset.