Jed Hoyer on Kyle Hendricks' struggles: 'Giving him a little bit of leeway and time to work his way through it, I think it makes a lot of sense'

(670 The Score) The Cubs remain focused on giving veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks every opportunity to work through his struggles early in the season, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Tuesday afternoon.

Hendricks, 34, has posted a 12.08 ERA and 2.37 WHIP in 12 2/3 innings across his first three starts of this season.

“I feel like he’s had his times of struggle in the past, and he’s gotten through them,” Hoyer said on the Parkins & Spiegel Show. “My hope is that this is another one of those times. I feel like the third time through the order has really bitten him so far this year, and that’s something obviously that he’s going to work through. He’s also faced the Rangers, Dodgers, Padres, which I think has been a tough slate for him early in the season. But yeah, he obviously would say it, that he expects more of himself. Obviously, we expect him to pitch well. But I think we have to remember, we’re three starts into a season. He’s got 29 more probably, so I think giving him a little bit of leeway and time to work his way through it, I think it makes a lot of sense. I try to remember over and over that the things we think about in April and the things that we talk about in April so oftentimes by June, let alone August, seem so remote. So that’s hopefully how I’m looking at this rough, rough three starts, that you look up, and he’s clearly in a bad patch and that he got going again and he pitched really well.”

Amid a 10-6 start, the Cubs are 1-2 in Hendricks’ three outings. In his most recent start, Hendricks went five innings and allowed seven runs, all earned, in the Cubs’ 10-2 loss to the Padres last Wednesday.

Hendricks will start again when the Cubs visit the Diamondbacks on Tuesday evening. First pitch is set for 8:40 p.m. CT, and the game can be heard on 670 The Score.

Hoyer praised Hendricks as a person and a player.

“Literally the low-maintenance employee/teammate I’ve ever had,” Hoyer said. “He’s incredible and just a joy to be around. I think you look at his career, I think he’s just made the most of what he had over and over and over.”