Kyle Hendricks’ day was cut short Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field due to low back tightness.

It contributed to halt a bit of momentum the Cubs had built up after back-to-back strong wins Thursday and Friday.

Hendricks pitched just 2 innings (tied for the shortest start of his career) as the Cubs lost to the Angels 7-0 Saturday afternoon.

He allowed 4 hits, 2 walks and hit a batter while surrendering 2 runs in that time. Seiya Suzuki threw a runner out at home and catcher Tomás Nido also nabbed a would-be basestealer at second to help limit the damage behind Hendricks.

He gave way to Colten Brewer, who gave up 3 runs (1 earned) in the 3rd inning.

Hendricks initially felt tightness in his low back on Friday. It’s something he has experienced before, calling it a “spasm” that locks up his low back and leads to a lot of tightness in the area.

He was able to throw a little bit at the field on Friday and underwent treatment but the issue persisted into Saturday.

“Woke up this morning, still super tight,” Hendricks said. “Came in and everybody knew. We just tried to work through and do as much as I can. The hardest thing to do is walk, honestly. Throwing felt a little better than walking but it was just weird.

“I just wasn’t effective, obviously. Craig saw it. Trying to go out there and give as much quality as I could. Just couldn’t get extension, couldn’t finish anything and my misses were just bad. They weren’t me. It stood out and it was smart not to push any further.”

[WATCH: Kyle Hendricks provides a health update]

Hendricks missed several weeks earlier this season with a back injury, but he said this issue is nothing like that experience.

“This is completely different,” Hendricks said. “Just a one-time thing. … I’m not worried about this at all. It’s probably a 2- or 3-day thing.

“It’s happened before, just hasn’t happened right around start day before. It just sucks with the timing.”

The Cubs are off on Monday before heading to Baltimore for a 3-game series against the Orioles. After that, they face off against the Cardinals for a 4-game set – including a doubleheader on Saturday – to close out the first half before the All-Star Break.

While Craig Counsell admitted he didn’t know if Hendricks would be able to make his next start, the veteran right-hander left no doubt.

“Yeah, 100% [confident I’ll make my next start],” Hendricks said. “Friday or Saturday in St. Louis or whenever it is. Three days off on the front end here should be plenty. So no, I don’t have any worry at all about it.”

If the Cubs need another starter, one option could be Javier Assad, who is recovering from a right forearm strain.

The right-hander is eligible to come off the IL on Tuesday and his recovery has gone well to this point.

“With the doubleheader this weekend, that obviously makes things complicated,” Counsell said. “I think we’re optimistic that Assad might be able to contribute this weekend but we’re gonna need all of them moving forward. All the spots plus one.”

The Cubs entered play Saturday with a completely fresh bullpen after Justin Steele’s complete game Friday. Five different relievers had to cover the final 7 innings of the game after Hendricks’ departure.

The Cubs had won back-to-back games before Saturday’s misstep. They will look to claim a series victory Sunday afternoon against the Angels at Wrigley Field.