Angels veteran starter, Chicago Cubs legend reportedly going to retire at end of year

With the Los Angeles Angels cementing themselves as one of the worst teams in baseball, fans are struggling to find reasons to tune into games. Mike Trout finally hit home run number 400, Zach Neto is out for the season and the Halos just somehow lost a series to the historically bad Colorado Rockies. However, the 70-86 Angels have one must-watch game in their final six contests after a recent report.

Angels veteran starter, Chicago Cubs legend reportedly going to retire at end of year

Veteran starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks might be retiring, according to a report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale and posted by Chicago's Marquee Sports Network -- although it's important to note that this report is not yet verified. The 35-year-old Hendricks, who signed a one-year contract with the Angels this offseason after spending 11 MLB seasons with the Chicago Cubs, is the probable starter on Friday September 26th against the Houston Astros in what is expected to be the final start of his career.

This announcement is a bit of a shock for the baseball world, given that Hendricks has been a more-than reliable starting pitcher this season and would have undoubtedly been able to achieve yet another MLB contract in the offseason. This year, Hendricks is posting a 4.79 ERA, 4.69 FIP, 1.28 WHIP in 159.2 innings (30 starts) in his first and final year with the Angels. Hendricks' WHIP leads all five of the Angels starters this season, and the same goes for his 2.42 BB/9 and opposing hitters' .313 OBP.

Hendricks' positive presence on the Angels roster was more apparent than ever during their series loss to the Colorado Rockies and their -404 run differential. Hendricks went seven scoreless innings in the only game the Angels won in Coors Field over the weekend. "The Professor" is highly lauded for his professionalism and impact on other pitchers in the clubhouse, and his ability to eat innings and provide quality starts for the Angels this season was much-needed.

Hendricks is a revered Cubs pitcher, given his prominent role on their 2016 World Series team. In the 2016 regular season, Hendricks posted a career-best 2.13 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 0.98 WHIP and 170 strikeouts in 190.0 innings. The report that Hendricks is retiring comes days after Clayton Kershaw's retirement announcement. The two starters squared off in Game 6 of the 2016 NLCS, with Hendricks coming away as the winning pitcher of record after going 7.1 scoreless while only allowing two hits with a 6:0 K:BB.

Hendricks will have an array of post-playing opportunities within baseball. Should he want to stay in the game in some capacity, he could genuinely work with the league or a team given his sterling reputation, experience and background. Hats off to you, Kyle. It was a pleasure watching you spin the ball this year and throughout your career!

More LA Angels News from Halo Hangout