Kyle Hendricks named Cubs’ Opening Day starter

There was never a question about who was going to be the Cubs’ ace this season, and manager David Ross made it clear Tuesday, naming right-hander Kyle Hendricks his Opening Day starter.

Hendricks, who will be making his second consecutive Opening Day start, stepped into the No. 1 role this spring after the Yu Darvish trade but has quietly pitched like an ace for some time.

Ross often referred to Hendricks as a “co-ace” with Darvish during the shortened 2020 season. Hendricks was 6-5 with a 2.88 ERA in 12 starts last year. Since 2015, Hendricks ranks fifth in the National League in ERA (3.14) and ERA+ (132).

“It’s gonna be awesome just to be able to be a part of that first game to have fans back in [Wrigley Field],” Hendricks said. ‘‘It’s been such a big hit not having them, so we really realized why we play the game, and to be able to have them and that energy they bring every single day, it’s gonna be so much fun to watch.”

“It worked out pretty good last year when he started,” Ross said. “I feel like Kyle, his résumé, his leadership, his poise, all that goes into being the Opening Day starter. Just the extra kind of pomp and circumstance that goes with Opening Day, especially this year, every arrow points to Kyle.”

Hendricks showed that the bright lights weren’t too much for him last season, throwing the Cubs’ first Opening Day shutout since Bill Bonham accomplished the feat in 1974.

“I just try to be the same guy I’ve always been,” Hendricks said. “I want the guys to be able to trust what they’re going to get out of me. Putting in the work every day coming to the ballpark, but then being that guy that’s consistently taking the ball on the fifth day, going deep into a ballgame and giving my team a chance to win. That’s the guy I’m always trying to be.”

Being “The Guy” hasn’t always been something Hendricks has been asked to do or been comfortable with, but he has stepped into the role this spring, and his teammates — new and old — have taken notice.

“He’s dedicated to not only his craft but being the best he can be,” Jake Arrieta told the Chicago Sun-Times. “For his teammates, the organization, the city of Chicago, the entire state of Illinois and his fans all across the country. People don’t get to see behind the scenes how dedicated he really is.

“I know this for a fact, and this is just the kind of guy he is: He can look himself in the mirror at the end of each day and say, I did everything in my power to be better than I was yesterday. And if you can do that, you can sleep well at night. . . . I know the fans appreciate him, but I just wish that more people could see everything that goes into his routine between starts because it’s very special.”

Hendricks will be in good company - — Kerry Wood, Carlos Zambrano, Jon Lester, Fergie Jenkins and Rick Sutcliffe are some of the luminaries — when he takes the bump April 1 against the Pirates on the list of Cubs starters to make multiple Opening Day starts.

“Anytime you’re mentioned with those guys, that’s a hell of a treat,” Hendricks said. “I didn’t know that, to be honest with you. That means a lot to me, to be in the same group as those guys and those names. It’s one of those things for me, maybe at the end of my career, [I’ll] look back on it, and it could be more.”