'Professor' Hendricks teaching new students

TEMPE, Ariz. -- When it comes to veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks, Angels manager Ron Washington perhaps puts it best:

“He’s been through it, so he knows how to do it.”

Hendricks posted a 3.00 ERA over 787 innings for the Cubs from 2016-20, helping the franchise win its first World Series in over a century in ’16, but he has fallen on hard times with a 4.80 ERA since then.

Now with the Angels, the 35-year-old is poised to play a multifaceted role for the Halos as they seek to make strides toward a return to the postseason for the first time since 2014.

One of those roles is to be a veteran strike-thrower in the starting rotation. So far, so good on that front.

Although Hendricks gave up two runs in his five-inning outing during the Angels’ 4-2 loss to the Padres at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Hendricks said he felt great and was happy overall with how his spring is unfolding.

“It was good getting through five innings -- the pitch count was up to 77, so that was really good stamina-wise,” Hendricks said. “Today, my changeup wasn’t great. Changeup was flat, kind of on both sides. Curveball was really good. Fastballs on both sides were really good. … I feel really good mechanically -- everything’s locked.”

The other role is as a man of experience who knows what it takes -- and what it feels like -- to win it all, but also knows how to endure adversity. Hendricks’ start on Sunday was a microcosm of that last trait -- two scoreless innings and a blip in the third before Hendricks righted the ship.

With a roster featuring several players with little or no postseason experience, the infusion of veterans such as Hendricks, catcher Travis d’Arnaud, former World Series MVP Jorge Soler and reliever Kenley Jansen could prove to be vital.

“Oh, it’s very important,” d’Arnaud said. “To have that experience is big, especially when lulls happen. They happen to every single team, and the good teams are able to focus and not let the lulls last too long.”

Much like Hendricks did on Sunday, in which his lull lasted an inning and the damage was limited to two runs.

“Not just myself, but a bunch of guys are asking those guys what it takes,” said catcher Logan O’Hoppe of the new veterans. “Travis and I were just talking about it yesterday. It’s really good to have because you’ve got guys who not only know what it takes, but also trust in the process.”

Hendricks knows something about trusting in the process. Individually, he has had to work through mechanical adjustments and the mental grind that comes with the highs and lows of a career like his. He was part of a wave of young prospects who coalesced to do the unthinkable nine years ago -- lead the Cubs to a World Series title just four years after a 101-loss campaign.

Now with a team still building toward what it hopes will be that type of success someday, Hendricks doesn’t see himself as a mentor. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t mentor.

“We’re all baseball players,” he said. “… It’s really not like a coach or mentorship thing. It’s just baseball. This is what it is. We’re in the building, we’re talking about each other’s bullpens or throwing sessions, watching a game on TV, talking about how to attack hitters. Just let it happen organically, not forcing it in like a mentor role or anything like that.”

However it happens, the Angels are hoping Hendricks’ wisdom will translate into growth for young pitchers such as Reid Detmers, José Soriano, Chase Silseth and Jack Kochanowicz.

Cerebral and easy to approach, Hendricks -- the man they call “The Professor” -- has flexible office hours and an open-door policy.

“He’s actually my locker buddy,” said Detmers, who relieved Hendricks on Sunday and gave up two runs (one earned) over four innings.

“So I get to talk to him a lot. He’s probably getting a little annoyed with me. No, he’s been awesome. Easy to talk to, willing to talk to you. … It’s huge, especially for the guys in the locker room who are pretty young and want to learn. And he’s one of the best guys to learn from.”

Hendricks has been through it, so he knows how to do it. After the Cactus League game Sunday, Washington summed it up succinctly.

“Kyle was tall, like I always say,” Washington said. “… He bent but didn’t break.”