Cubs Have 'Soft Plan' In Place For Kyle Hendricks' Return But Don't Reveal Target Date

(CBS) The Cubs have a "soft plan" in place for the return of right-hander Kyle Hendricks, pitching coach Chris Bosio said on the Mully and Hanley Show on Wednesday morning.

That plan includes a target return date, but Bosio declined to reveal it. Hendricks has right hand tendinitis and more specifically is suffering from inflammation on the back of his right middle finger, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein previously said.

"Time will tell if we're going to be able to follow through with this plan," Bosio said. "Just hearing something like that as a player can sometimes motivate you, like there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Now we have a date out there. Is it concrete? No. Is it something I just threw out there just to get him motivated a little bit more? Yes, it is. Because he's such a big part of this organization."

Asked whether that target date was before or after the All-Star break, Bosio didn't say.

"The goal is to get him back," Bosio said. "He's going to determine when that is based on how he feels."

Hendricks is 4-3 with a 4.09 ERA and 1.20 WHIP this season, one year after winning the MLB ERA crown. Bosio explained how difficult it is for Hendricks to miss time.

"He's on shutdown mode, and it's killing him," Bosio said. "It's hard to imagine him as a caged animal, especially with the personality of Kyle Hendricks, but that's what I'm seeing right now. This is the first time where he's really had to take a step back. We're missing a big piece of our team, a big piece of what we've had the last couple years -- his body of work, his presence, how he goes about his work. He's like a Kris Bryant. He's a quiet leader. He goes about everything in such a professional manner. We're missing him, and I know he's missing being out there, how competitive he is and what he brings to our club."

Listen to Bosio's full interview below.