Brandon Hughes is slated to fill an important role in the Chicago Cubs bullpen, potentially as their only lefty reliever.
Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy compared Hughes’ spring workload approach to how teams handle veteran relievers, such as Craig Kimbrel, who won’t pitch in games until later in spring because of their future regular-season usage.
“Knowing what we want him to be able to do we wanted to make sure his was a very methodical ramp-up,” Hottovy told the Tribune. “It doesn’t mean they’re not working and throwing live BPs, but maybe instead of a live BP and two days off we’re giving him that extra day. ... There’s a time where you feel you can slow play it and help guys get to a good position so that when they go into games, it’s not like they’re trying to figure everything out.
The Cubs also have been deliberate with Keegan Thompson’s buildup for the season. He retired all three batters he faced, striking out one, in his spring debut Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. Just as the Cubs did with Hughes, they reset Thompson’s offseason programming.Cubs right-hander Keegan Thompson throws during a spring training workout on Feb. 15 in Mesa.
Thompson had spent the previous offseason building up as a starter, but the Cubs wanted to prepare him for a hybrid role out of the bullpen, either going one inning or provide multi-inning relief if needed. The Cubs built his offseason program so he can pitch, have two days off and then be used again. Last year, Thompson would pitch on average of three days rest.
“The thing that stands out to me about Keegan is pitchability, any situation he seems ready for because of his starter background and the multiple innings is a value to be able to reset at times,” Ross said. “If he can continue to build upon the stuff he’s given us in the past, he’ll be very valuable for us.”
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