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A balanced schedule for Major League Baseball inherently creates some scheduling quirks.
For the Chicago Cubs, that means playing more games against the American League West (12) in the first seven weeks than against their division rivals (nine). After the April 5 rainout in Cincinnati, the Cubs will go more than a month until they play another National League Central opponent — when Willson Contreras and the St. Louis Cardinals come to Wrigley Field for a three-game series beginning May 8.
President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer likes the reduction of division games, even if it means a lean stretch right now of NL Central matchups. He’s enjoying getting to watch the Cubs face standouts such as the Texas Rangers’ Corey Seager and the Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez.
“That’s great for us and great for the fans,” Hoyer said before Tuesday’s game against the Mariners. “Six series against the Pirates or Cardinals or Reds I don’t think is (as) great for the fans as playing a series where you see some players you haven’t seen all the time, so I think it’s wonderful.
“It felt like it was so many games against the division — six series was a lot. It feels weird this year in the sense that we won’t have a lot of division opponents early.”
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Hoyer also provided some injury updates before Tuesday’s game. Right fielder Seiya Suzuki remains on track to rejoin the Cubs on their upcoming West Coast trip to Los Angeles and Oakland.
He was scheduled to play Tuesday and Wednesday at Triple-A Iowa, and then “we’ll figure things out after those couple games, see how he looks,” Hoyer said. “I’m glad he’s getting toward the end of this rehab, and hopefully we have him back soon.”
Right-hander Kyle Hendricks will throw two innings and about 35 pitches Wednesday in Arizona, his second time facing batters during his buildup process. The Cubs then will reevaluate Hendricks and make a decision on his next steps.
Hoyer didn’t rule out Hendricks beginning a rehab assignment in the next week or two.
“He’s getting close to that,” Hoyer said.
Right-hander Codi Heuer, who is working back from Tommy John surgery, threw an inning of live batting practice Tuesday in Arizona. He is working off a 14-month timeline to rejoin the Cubs and is eligible to be activated off the 60-day injured list May 29. The Cubs hope he will be ready close to his eligibility date.
“We put him on the 60 knowing that’s when he’d get cleared medically, but he’s throwing really well,” Hoyer said. “We’re not really in a hurry, so to speak, with him.”
