Flexen was released by the Cubs on Sunday, per MLB's transactions log.
Flexen was designated for assignment by Chicago on Tuesday and failed to draw interest on the waiver wire. He'll search for an opportunity elsewhere rather than accept a minor-league assignment.
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: Dropped from 40-man
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The Cubs designated Flexen for assignment Tuesday.
Although he looked like a dominant force out of the bullpen for much of the first half of the season, Flexen has been in a rough patch lately, posting a 7.24 ERA and 1.68 WHIP across 13.2 innings since the beginning of July. His sudden decline will now cost him his spot on the Cubs, though another team looking for a multi-inning bullpen option could pick him up and aim to get him back on track. Gavin Hollowell was recalled from Triple-A to fill the opening in Chicago's bullpen.
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: Another shaky performance Monday
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Flexen allowed two runs on three hits across two innings of relief in Monday's 8-4 loss to the Brewers. He struck out one.
Flexen has now allowed at least one run in five straight appearances, and he has a 7.98 ERA during the rough patch. He did make one start in there, allowing three runs over four innings against the Yankees on July 11, but his relief outings haven't been any better. Flexen had established himself as a valuable long reliever earlier in the year, though at this point, it's hard to trust the veteran until he strings together a few good performances and gets back on track.
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: Struggles continue Friday
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Flexen allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits across two innings of relief in Friday's 12-5 loss to the White Sox. He struck out two.
Shota Imanaga allowed seven runs in his three innings of work to take the loss, so Flexen was off the hook there, but the latter still continued a disappointing stretch of games. Over his last three appearances, Flexen has allowed 11 earned runs across nine innings. This included his first start of the season, when he allowed three runs over four innings against the Yankees on July 11. The rough patch has raised Flexen's ERA from 0.83 to 3.02. The veteran righty will look to get back on track soon, but his fantasy value is already limited by his long-relief role.
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: Roughed up in relief Monday
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Flexen surrendered five earned runs on seven hits and one walk while failing to record a strikeout over three innings of relief in Monday's 12-4 loss to the Royals.
Flexen made a four-inning start against the Yankees in his final appearance before the All-Star break July 11, but the Cubs shifted him back to the bullpen to begin the second half. He ended up being one of two bulk relievers the Cubs deployed behind opening pitcher Ryan Brasier on Monday, with Ben Brown giving up seven runs (six earned) in four innings before Flexen entered the contest in the top of the sixth. The Cubs still have a void in the rotation until Jameson Taillon (calf) returns from the injured list, so Flexen and/or Brown could be called upon to start or work in bulk relief the next time a fifth spot in the rotation comes up Sunday against the White Sox.
Flexen (5-1) took the loss Friday against the Yankees after giving up three earned runs on three hits and three walks while striking out two batters over four innings.
Flexen made his first start of the campaign Friday after spending most of the season working as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. He kept the Yankees off the scoreboard for two innings, but back-to-back singles to lead off the third followed by an Aaron Judge sacrifice fly and a Cody Bellinger two-run blast gave New York a lead it wouldn't relinquish for the rest of the game. Flexen's ERA still sits at 1.47 on the year despite his rough performance Friday, and he'll likely get another opportunity to start after the All-Star break with Jameson Taillon (calf) set to remain out until August.
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: In line to start Friday
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Flexen is slated to start Friday's game against the Yankees in New York.
The veteran right-hander will pick up his first start of the season Friday, filling the rotation spot that had previously been occupied by Jameson Taillon (calf). Flexen tossed 3.2 innings and 64 pitches in bulk relief the last time Taillon's turn came up Saturday, but he should be capable of giving the Cubs more length Friday. Flexen hasn't missed many bats (13.9 percent strikeout rate) while working out of the bullpen this season, but he's limited walks (6.6 percent walk rate) and has netted an 0.83 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in 32.2 innings. Regression could set in sooner rather than later however, as those numbers are buoyed by an unsustainable 95.2 percent strand rate and a .189 BABIP, well below his career mark of .302.
Flexen didn't factor in the decision Saturday against the Cardinals after giving up one run on four hits and no walks over 3.2 innings as a bulk reliever. He struck out two.
Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that the veteran right-hander was a candidate to get stretched out after Jameson Taillon (calf) was placed on the injured list, and Flexen then pitched behind an opener Saturday. The 31-year-old has excelled as a relief option for the Cubs this year with a 0.83 ERA across 32.2 innings, and it appears he'll now get a look as a rotation piece. Flexen threw 64 pitches in Saturday's contest, and it's unclear if Chicago plans to utilize him as a traditional starter or keep him in the bulk role.
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: Candidate to get stretched out
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Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Flexen is a candidate to get stretched out following the news that Jameson Taillon (calf) will be sidelined for a month or more, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
The 31-year-old righty made 16 or more starts in the big leagues each of the last four seasons but has worked solely in relief so far in 2025. He has a 0.62 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and a 15:8 K:BB in 29 innings as a reliever. Flexen's 6.5 K-BB% would rank third lowest among qualified starters behind Erick Fedde (4.0 K-BB%) and Jack Kochanowicz (5.6 K-BB%).
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: Earns fifth win Thursday
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Flexen (5-0) tossed a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout to earn the win in Thursday's 1-0, 10-inning victory over the Guardians.
Flexen continued his strong season for the Cubs, as he has a 0.62 ERA and 0.83 WHIP along with a perfect 5-0 record across 29 innings out of the bullpen. It's the most wins for the former starter since he went 8-9 in 33 appearances (22 starts) for Seattle back in 2022. Flexen doesn't provide a ton of strikeouts, as he only has 15 of them this year, but he's otherwise been a valuable long reliever for Chicago.
Cubs' Chris Flexen: Covers four strong innings Friday
Rotowire
Flexen tossed four scoreless innings of relief in Friday's 7-4 loss to the Astros. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one.
Chicago starter Cade Horton was hit hard, allowing seven earned runs in his four innings of work, but Flexen kept the Cubs in the game the rest of the way. It was a pretty standard outing for the veteran righty, who's allowed only two earned runs in 28 innings this season but is also sitting with just a 4.5 K/9. Flexen's middle-relief role and lack of strikeouts limit his fantasy appeal, though he's been exceptional in real life for his new team in 2025.
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: Improves to 4-0
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Flexen (4-0) tossed a scoreless inning of relief to earn the win in Sunday's 3-2, 10-inning win over the Pirates.
Flexen worked the top of the 10th inning and kept Pittsburgh off the board despite having to deal with the automatic runner on second base. He then earned his fourth win of the year when the Cubs scored the winning run in the bottom half of the frame. Flexen extended his scoreless streak to 11 appearances and 18.1 innings to begin the season, as he's been a revelation in long relief for the Cubs. His role limits his fantasy impact, though Flexen has some appeal in deeper formats due to his sparkling ERA and WHIP, as well as his 4-0 record.
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: Logs two more scoreless innings
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Flexen tossed two scoreless innings of relief in Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Tigers. He allowed three hits and struck out two.
Across nine appearances and 16.1 innings this year, Flexen has still yet to allow any earned runs. The veteran righty has struck out only 10 batters, but he's never been a big strikeout guy during his career. Flexen has established himself as a reliable long reliever despite the lack of overpowering stuff, and he should continue to see steady work out of Chicago's bullpen moving forward.
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: Improves to 3-0
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Flexen (3-0) allowed an unearned run on one hit across two innings of relief to earn the win in Tuesday's 4-3 extra-innings victory over Colorado. He struck out one.
Flexen worked the 10th and 11th innings, and outside of allowing an automatic runner to score in the 11th, he managed to keep the Rockies at bay. The veteran righty has still yet to allow an earned run through seven appearances this season, allowing him to build trust as a reliable long-relief option out of Chicago's bullpen. Flexen worked mostly as a starter last year with the White Sox, though he managed just a 3-15 record overall.
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Cubs' Chris Flexen: Earns first win of 2025
Rotowire
Flexen (1-0) worked around a hit and a walk to toss two scoreless innings of relief and earn the win in Tuesday's 5-4 victory over the Marlins. He struck out one.
Making his fourth appearance in the majors this season, Flexen picked up his first win. After working as a starter in recent years, the veteran has transitioned to the bullpen in 2025, and he's off to a good start for the Cubs. Flexen has yet to allow a run across seven innings of work and he's struck out six. The righty has also covered multiple innings on two occasions, giving Chicago some valuable length in relief.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Monday that Flexen could enter the rotation in place of the injured Shota Imanaga (hamstring), Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Counsell also mentioned prospect Cade Horton as a possibility, but Flexen, unlike Horton, is already on the 26-man and 40-man rosters, giving him a potential edge. After changing his arm slot, Flexen posted a 1.16 ERA and 21:8 K:BB over 23.1 frames with Triple-A Iowa and then tossed three scoreless frames this past Friday out of the bullpen against the Brewers. Imanaga's next turn comes up this weekend in New York versus the Mets.
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