Cubs give ball to Hendricks for Game 1

Arrieta unlikely to start until Game 4 at the earliest while recovering from injury

CHICAGO— Kyle Hendricks tops out at about 88 m.p.h. He looks and talks more like a college professor than a professional baseball player. He is among the most anonymous players on the star-studded Chicago Cubs.

He also is the Game 1 starter for the defending World Series champions.

Hendricks gets the ball Friday night when Chicago visits the Nationals for the opener of their NL Division Series. He also started its previous post-season game, helping the Cubs win in Cleveland in Game 7 for their first championship since 1908.

“Excited to get out there,” Hendricks said Wednesday. “You’re going to have a little bit of butterflies for sure, but I think it’s just that excited feeling. This is what you live for. This is the time of year that you want to be playing and we’re ready for it.” Manager Joe Maddon also announced Jon Lester will start Game 2 on Saturday in Washington, followed by Jose Quintana in Game 3 at Wrigley Field and Jake Arrieta in Game 4, if necessary. Lester started the opener in each of Chicago’s three playoff series last year, but he missed part of August with tightness in his left lat and general shoulder fatigue and struggled down the stretch before finishing strong.

The Nationals haven’t announced their rotation, but Stephen Strasburg seems like the most likely option for Game 1. Reigning NL Cy Young Award-winner Max Scherzer tweaked his right hamstring in his final regular-season start and it’s unclear when he might be able to pitch in the series.

“We’re a unit as a group out there, as our starting staff,” said Lester, who is 9-7 with a 2.63 ERA in 22 career playoff games. “I’m not by any means mad. I’m not upset. Wasn’t going to be a Game 1 starter, opening-day starter for the rest of my career, so I mean at some point somebody’s got to take it over.

“I’m really, really happy for (Hendricks). I think he was a guy that probably threw the ball the best on our staff as far as start to finish last year, including the playoffs, and nobody even talks about him.”

Arrieta, who strained his right hamstring on Sept. 4 and missed his final regular-season start to rest up for the playoffs, threw a bullpen session Wednesday and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said it went well. Game 4 would be Tuesday, exactly two weeks after Arrieta last appeared in a major league game.

Hendricks was acquired by Chicago in the 2012 deadline trade that sent Ryan Dempster to the Rangers — an under-the-radar move that helped fuel the Cubs’ run to three straight playoff appearances.

The 27-year-old right-hander, who has a degree in economics from Dartmouth, broke out in a big way last season. He went 16-8 with a major league-low 2.13 ERA and then posted a1-1record with a 2.38 ERA in seven playoff starts, beating Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in Chicago’s clinching win in the NLCS.