Pomeranz was released by the Angels on Thursday.
Pomeranz was designated for assignment by the Angels on Monday, and now that he's cleared waivers without being claimed, he'll hit the open market. The southpaw struggled to a 5.01 ERA and 1.59 WHIP with 16 strikeouts while recording seven holds and two blown saves over 23.1 innings in 25 appearances with the Angels this season. Pomeranz posted an impressive 2.17 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 57 punchouts over 49.2 innings in 57 appearances (four starts) with the Cubs in 2025, so he could still draw some interest as a free agent.
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Angels' Drew Pomeranz: DFA'd by Halos
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The Angels designated Pomeranz for assignment Monday.
Pomeranz had been unscored upon in seven of eight appearances since returning from left elbow inflammation, but he had a 4:4 K:BB over 8.1 innings during that stretch and a 5.01 ERA and 16:12 K:BB across 23.1 frames on the season. Given his $4 million salary, Pomeranz is sure to clear waivers, but the 37-year-old should quickly land in a new organization after that happens.
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Angels' Drew Pomeranz: Activated from injured list
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The Angels activated Pomeranz (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Thursday.
Pomeranz needed just a minimum stay on the IL while recovering from left elbow inflammation. He skipped a rehab assignment and will return to a setup role in the Angels' bullpen. Pomeranz has struggled this season, posting a 7.20 ERA and 12:8 K:BB over 15 frames.
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Angels' Drew Pomeranz: Faces hitters Saturday
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Pomeranz (elbow) threw a live bullpen session Saturday, per MLB.com.
Pomeranz had previously been throwing bullpens, but this was his first time facing live hitters since he landed on the injured list May 13. The Angels and Pomeranz have each stated that the reliever isn't dealing with a major issue and have expressed hope that he'll be ready to return to the team's bullpen when first eligible May 28.
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Angels' Drew Pomeranz: Throwing bullpens
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Pomeranz (elbow) tossed a bullpen session Thursday, per MLB.com.
The BP was Pomeranz's second since landing on the 15-day injured list May 13. Manager Kurt Suzuki depicted the move as caution on the Angels' part, and the veteran reliever has indicated that he's in line for a minimum IL stay. Given that he's already tossed multiple bullpens, it still seems very feasible that Pomeranz will be activated when first eligible May 28.
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Angels' Drew Pomeranz: Anticipates minimum stay
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Pomeranz (elbow) said Friday that he doesn't expect to need more than a minimum-length stay on the injured list, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
Pomeranz landed on the injured list Wednesday with inflammation in his left elbow, but he said his injury isn't anything serious. Assuming the organization agrees with the timeline the 37-year-old laid out for himself, he'll return to the Angels' bullpen May 28.
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Angels' Drew Pomeranz: Lands on injured list
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The Angels placed Pomeranz on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to elbow inflammation, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
Pomeranz appeared in relief for an inning Tuesday against Cleveland, which is presumably when he suffered the injury. The 37-year-old has made 17 appearances with a rocky 7.20 ERA this season. Ryan Johnson was activated from the IL in a corresponding move.
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Angels' Drew Pomeranz: Continues to struggle
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Pomeranz (0-3) took the loss against the White Sox on Wednesday, allowing one run on one hit and two walks while retiring only one batter in the 10th inning.
After the Angels were unable to push across a run in the top of the 10th, Pomeranz was tasked with keeping Chicago off the board in the bottom of the frame. He intentionally walked the first batter he faced, then walked another before giving up a walk-off single with one out. Pomeranz was considered a closer candidate after Jordan Romano was DFA'd on April 16, but the lefty has struggled mightily since then, giving up four runs on four hits (including three homers) while being charged with two blown saves and a loss over three outings. It wouldn't be surprising if the Angels look to other options for high-leverage work until Pomeranz gets back on track.
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Angels' Drew Pomeranz: Blows save chance
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Pomeranz took a blown save in Sunday's 11-9 extra-inning loss to the Royals, allowing one run on one hit over one-third of an inning. He didn't strike out or walk a batter.
Pomeranz was brought into a tough spot after Brent Suter allowed a two-out RBI single to Salvador Perez. The switch didn't work out, as Jac Caglianone tied the game with a two-run home run, sticking Pomeranz with his first blown save of the season. Over 11 appearances, Pomeranz has a 7.84 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 7:5 K:BB through 10.1 innings. The Angels designated Jordan Romano for assignment Sunday, but Pomeranz's performance has hardly been encouraging in the late innings. Kirby Yates (knee) is on a rehab assignment and will likely get the chance to close once he's off the injured list, relegating Pomeranz back to a setup role if he can keep his spot on the major-league roster. Ben Joyce (shoulder) could also be in the long-term mix for saves, but he is still working his way back from a torn labrum.
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Angels' Drew Pomeranz: Wild in spring outing
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Pomeranz allowed three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out one batter in one-third of an inning in a Cactus League contest against the Rockies on Sunday.
Pomeranz had trouble with his control, as only 12 of his 29 pitches were strikes. The veteran reliever had issued just one walk this spring coming into Sunday, though he's given up two homers and five earned runs across his four outings spanning 3.1 frames. Despite his Cactus League struggles, Pomeranz is expected to take on a high-leverage role out of the Angels' bullpen this season.
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Angels' Drew Pomeranz: Finds work in Anaheim
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Pomeranz signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Angels on Tuesday, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Pomeranz was dominant during his time with the Cubs this past season -- his first MLB campaign since 2021 -- finishing the year with a 2.17 ERA and 1.07 WHIP alongside a 57:15 K:BB over 49.2 regular-season frames. By joining the Angels, the 37-year-old southpaw instantly becomes one of the most reliable arms in a bullpen that finished 2025 with an AL-worst 4.86 ERA, and he figures to receive a fair share of save opportunities alongside Ben Joyce (shoulder) and Robert Stephenson (elbow).
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Cubs' Drew Pomeranz: Opening Game 5
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Pomeranz will serve as the Cubs' opening pitcher Saturday in Game 5 of the NLDS versus Milwaukee, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Pomeranz has struck out five batters across five scoreless innings in the postseason so far, and the Cubs will now entrust him to collect the first several outs of Saturday's winner-take-all matchup. He most likely will come out of the game after the first inning, at which point Shota Imanaga could take over as the Cubs' bulk reliever.
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Cubs' Drew Pomeranz: Takes loss in relief
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Pomeranz (2-2) allowed a run on two hits across an inning of work to take the loss Saturday against the Reds. He struck out two.
The southpaw entered a 2-2 game in the fifth inning after Chicago starter Javier Assad covered four innings, and Pomeranz allowed a solo home run to Spencer Steer. This was the first run allowed by the veteran reliever over his last seven appearances, and he still has a sparkling 2.30 ERA for the season to go along with a 10.0 K/9. Pomeranz should stick in a key relief role for the Cubs as they head into the playoffs.
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Cubs' Drew Pomeranz: Opening Sunday's contest
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Pomeranz will serve as the Cubs' opening pitcher for Sunday's game against the Nationals, Ryan Herrera of AllCHGO.com reports.
Pomeranz has turned in a 2.45 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 40.1 innings while pitching primarily in middle relief this season, but the Cubs will deploy him as an opener for the fourth time in 2025. The 36-year-old southpaw has pitched more than one inning just three times this season, so he'll likely hand the game over to Chicago's bullpen after recording the game's first three outs. Colin Rea and Aaron Civale are both available to cover multiple innings in relief once Pomeranz exits the contest.
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Cubs' Drew Pomeranz: Another poor outing Wednesday
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Pomeranz allowed two runs on three hits while only retiring two batters in relief during Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Atlanta.
Pomeranz came on in the top of the seventh inning with two runners on and Chicago up 1-0, and the lefty promptly served up a three-run home run. That saddled Ben Brown with the loss in relief, though it was certainly a discouraging outing for Pomeranz, who has allowed two runs on three hits in two of his last three appearances. Despite the hiccup, the veteran still has a tidy 2.45 ERA on the season, and his track record this year suggests he'll be able to get back on track.
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Cubs' Drew Pomeranz: Will work as opener Saturday
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Pomeranz is slated to serve as the Cubs' opening pitcher for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.
Chicago has a hole in its rotation after Jameson Taillon (calf) landed on the 15-day injured list Friday. Jordan Wicks was called up from Triple-A on Friday to take Taillon's roster spot, and he could pitch in bulk relief behind Pomeranz, though the Cubs haven't confirmed their plans for when the latter exits the contest. Pomeranz has worked as an opener twice this season and tossed exactly one inning both times, so he should be expected to see about the same workload this time around.
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Cubs' Drew Pomeranz: Works eighth inning, earns hold
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Pomeranz worked around a hit to toss a scoreless inning and earn a hold in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Cardinals. He struck out one.
Pomeranz got the nod in the eighth inning of a close game instead of Ryan Pressly, who last pitched Tuesday. Pressly recorded a save as recently as June 12, though since then, Daniel Palencia has rattled off three saves, including his eighth of the season Thursday. Palencia has been excellent and seems to be strengthening his grip on the closer role, but it appears that the bullpen is a bit fluid in front of him. Pomeranz has also been excellent this season, as he still hasn't allowed an earned run across 21.2 innings. The lefty also has five holds and a save, and his strong play figures to keep him in a high-leverage role for the Cubs moving forward, along with Pressly and the recently activated Porter Hodge.
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Cubs' Drew Pomeranz: Moves past back problem
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Pomeranz has permitted five hits and one walk while striking out three over 1.1 innings between relief appearances Thursday against the Brewers and Saturday against the Mariners after he previously hadn't pitched since June 14 due to a back soreness.
Pomeranz experienced some back pain during the June 14 outing against the Pirates but was shut down for just a few days before the Cubs made him available out of the bullpen. The lefty was hit around a bit in his last two appearances but still has yet to give up an earned run over his 19.2 innings with the Cubs since being acquired from Seattle on April 21. He owns a 0.92 WHIP and 19:6 K:BB and has collected two wins, one save and four holds over his 22 appearances.
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Cubs' Drew Pomeranz: Tending to back issue
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Pomeranz is scheduled to be re-evaluated Tuesday after he experienced back tightness following his relief appearance in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Pirates, MLB.com reports.
Despite having his back flare up on him, Pomeranz turned in a scoreless inning en route to collecting his fourth hold of the season. After having not pitched in the majors since 2021, Pomeranz has quickly worked his way up the bullpen pecking order since getting a call-up from Triple-A Iowa in late April. The veteran southpaw has yet to allow an earned run and owns a 0.65 WHIP over 18.1 innings out of the Chicago bullpen this season, making his status worth tracking as the Cubs kick off a three-game series versus the Brewers on Tuesday.
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Cubs' Drew Pomeranz: Effective as opener Saturday
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Pomeranz opened Saturday's 2-0 win over the Reds and tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout.
Pomeranz only needed nine pitches to work through the opening frame, and the lefty set up bulk pitcher Ben Brown, who followed with six scoreless innings of his own. Pomeranz has now made 15 appearances for the Cubs this season covering 13.2 innings and has yet to allow any earned runs. That's made the veteran a valuable reliever working in front of Daniel Palencia, who has emerged as Chicago's top closing option in recent weeks.
