Cubs' Daniel Palencia: On track for activation Friday
Rotowire
Palencia (elbow) will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list ahead of Friday's game in Seattle, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
The Cubs have deemed Palencia fit to rejoin the big club after he capped his five-appearance minor-league rehab assignment on a high note Sunday, when he gave up one hit and struck out three of the four batters he faced for Triple-A Iowa. Palencia had been serving as the Cubs' primary closer prior to landing on the shelf June 16 due to a right elbow flexor strain, but it's unclear if he'll immediately reclaim those duties upon his return. Jacob Webb has been lights out at the back of the Chicago bullpen, converting seven consecutive save chances while permitting no runs over his last 23 appearances.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Nearing return from IL
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The Cubs are expected to activate Palencia (elbow) from the 60-day injured list in the coming days, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
The Cubs haven't committed to an exact date for Palencia to return from the IL, but manager Craig Counsell told reporters Tuesday the 26-year-old right-hander will be activated "soon." A right flexor strain has sidelined Palencia since mid-June, but he won't have a defined role upon his return, per Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com. It appears that, for now, the Cubs prefer keeping Jacob Webb as the main closer, with Palencia getting some work in high-leverage situations.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Shifts to 60-day IL
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The Cubs transferred Palencia (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Monday, Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
The move appears to be a procedural one to open up a spot on the Cubs' 40-man roster for Owen Miller, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Iowa on Monday. Palencia has been on the shelf since mid-June due to a right flexor strain but was cleared to embark on a rehab assignment in early August. Across five minor-league outings, he's allowed five runs on two hits and six walks while striking out six across 4.1 innings. Palencia will need more rehab appearances before being cleared to return to the majors, where he's expected to reclaim his role as the Cubs' closer.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Starting rehab assignment Wednesday
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Palencia (elbow) is slated to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday at Triple-A Iowa, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
After completing bullpen sessions and live batting practice sessions without issue over the past couple of weeks, Palencia has been cleared to advance to the final step in the rehab program for his mild right flexor strain, which has kept him on the shelf since June 16. Palencia has endured a tough-luck 2026 campaign, as he also missed time earlier in the season due to a lat strain and has received just three save chances -- converting them all -- in 19 appearances, despite seemingly being locked in as the Cubs' closer. Palencia still looks like a good bet to step back in as the Cubs' closer once he returns from the injured list, though he may need to pitch well during his rehab assignment in order for manager Craig Counsell to formally appoint him for that role.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Closing in on rehab assignment
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Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that Palencia (elbow) is scheduled to throw an up-and-down bullpen session Tuesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Counsell noted that Palencia felt great after completing a side session Sunday, prompting the Cubs to clear the right-hander to take another small step forward Tuesday with a bullpen session that more closely simulates a game. Assuming that goes well, Palencia could face hitters in live batting practice later in the week before heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment in the first week of August. The 26-year-old has been on the shelf since June 16 due to a mild right flexor strain, after he had previously missed about three weeks earlier in the season on account of a lat strain.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Could return in mid-August
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Manager Craig Counsell said Friday that Palencia (elbow) is hopeful to return to the Cubs' bullpen in mid-August, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Counsell noted that Palencia has been slow to progress through his rehab program, as he's had to repeat a few steps along the way, so his absence could potentially extend into late August or September if he continues to show minimal progress. In the meantime, Jacob Webb and Trent Thornton will be in the mix for saves in Chicago.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Will be out through All-Star break
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Palencia (elbow) is progressing in his rehab from elbow tendinitis, but he won't be activated from the injured list until after the All-Star break, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Palencia landed on the injured list June 16 and hasn't thrown since. Per MLB.com, the righty reliever could begin a throwing program at the beginning of the coming week, but he's nonetheless expected to remain out of action until after the All-Star break. Jacob Webb and Trent Thornton have each logged saves since Palencia went down, and Caleb Thielbar is also in the temporary closer mix.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: MRI reveals flexor strain
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Palencia was diagnosed with a mild flexor strain in his right arm Saturday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Manager Craig Counsell said that Palencia will be shut down from throwing for about a week, at which point the team will re-evaluate him. A clearer timeline for his return to the bullpen may emerge once he's cleared to begin a throwing program. In the meantime, Caleb Thielbar, Jacob Webb and Phil Maton all could be in the mix for saves.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Strikes out side, earns win
Rotowire
Palencia (2-1) worked around a walk to toss a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win in Monday's 5-4 victory over the Rockies. He struck out three.
After a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth inning, Palencia proceeded to strike out the next three Colorado hitters on 14 pitches. The righty then earned the win when the Cubs scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to erase a 4-3 deficit. Palencia is still sitting on only three saves, though he's mostly pitched well with a 2.70 ERA and 19 strikeouts across 16.2 innings this season, and the save opportunities should come if Chicago gets back on track following a rough patch.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Takes first loss Wednesday
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Palencia (1-1) didn't record any outs and allowed a run on two hits and a walk to take the loss in Wednesday's 3-2 defeat to the Rockies.
Working in a 2-2 game in the bottom of the ninth inning, Palencia walked the leadoff hitter, then allowed a pair of quick singles to take his first loss of the season. The flamethrowing righty is still searching for his first save since May 14 as the Cubs have struggled lately, but Palencia is pitching well overall with a 2.87 ERA and 16 strikeouts across 15.2 innings this year. He should remain locked in as Chicago's unquestioned closer despite the small hiccup.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Secures save Thursday
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Palencia retired a single batter via strikeout to record the save in Thursday's 8-3 win over the Reds.
The Cubs were looking to let their top reliever rest Thursday, but with Cincinnati threatening in the top of the ninth inning with the bases loaded, Palencia got the call. The flamethrowing righty got a battle from Nathaniel Lowe before retiring him on seven pitches. Palencia just returned from the injured list Sunday and has recorded only two saves this season across seven appearances, but he's locked in as Chicago's closer and should begin racking up the saves more frequently with the team streaking to a 26-12 record.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Makes return from IL
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The Cubs reinstated Palencia (lat) from the 15-day injured list Sunday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Placed on the shelf April 17 due to a lat strain, Palencia ended up missing just over the minimum amount of time. The righty will rejoin the Cubs after making a 19-pitch rehab appearance for Triple-A Iowa on Friday, when he retired two of the three batters he faced and averaged 100.4 miles per hour with his fastball. Given the brevity of his absence, Palencia should settle back in as the Cubs' closer right away.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: MRI confirms lat strain
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Manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday that Palencia underwent an MRI that revealed a lat strain, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
Palencia initially landed on the injured list Friday with a left oblique strain, but imaging has since confirmed that he's dealing with a lat issue. Counsell noted that the 26-year-old reliever is responding very well to treatment and could begin throwing by the time the Cubs begin their weekend series in Los Angeles. If his rehab continues to progress smoothly, he may be cleared to return to Chicago's bullpen in about two weeks.
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Cubs' Caleb Thielbar: Sharp in big spot again Sunday
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Thielbar (2-2) worked around a hit to toss a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win Sunday against the Mets in 10 innings. He struck out one.
Thielbar pitched a clean top of the 10th inning in a 1-1 game, then he picked up his second win of the year when the Cubs scored in the bottom half. The veteran lefty picked up his first save of the season Saturday and was good again in a high-leverage spot Sunday as he lowered his ERA to 2.25. With Daniel Palencia (oblique) on the injured list, Thielbar looks like Chicago's preferred end-game option for the time being, making him worth a look in most fantasy formats.
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Cubs' Caleb Thielbar: Locks down first save Saturday
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Thielbar struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Saturday to record his first save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Mets.
Daniel Palencia (oblique) landed on the IL on Friday, and Thielbar got the call for the Cubs' first save chance in his absence with two left-handed hitters due up for the Mets in the ninth. While the veteran southpaw didn't end up facing either of them as New York emptied its bench for pinch hitters Tommy Pham and Tyrone Taylor, Thielbar still got the job done. It's not yet clear how Cubs manager Craig Counsell intends to navigate closing situations without Palencia, but Thielbar has staked a strong early claim to being the primary option. Through eight appearances and seven innings this season, he sports a 2.57 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 10:4 K:BB.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Shelved by oblique strain
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The Cubs placed Palencia on the 15-day injured list Friday with a left oblique strain.
It's unclear when Palencia -- who hasn't pitched since Sunday -- was hurt, but the injury will knock him out at least for the next couple weeks and likely longer. The Cubs are also currently without Hunter Harvey (triceps) and Phil Maton (knee), so their late-inning bullpen depth is thin. Caleb Thielbar could be the next man up for saves, with Ben Brown also an option.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Picks up win against Pittsburgh
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Palencia (1-0) picked up the win over the Pirates on Sunday, allowing one walk with two strikeouts in a hitless and scoreless ninth inning.
With the game tied 6-6 in the top of the ninth, Palencia came on and struck out Konnor Griffin, got Joey Bart to ground out, walked Oneil Cruz and struck out Brandon Lowe. The Cubs walked it off in the bottom half of the inning to get Palencia his first win of the 2026 campaign. Chicago's closer has pitched in five games to this point and has yet to allow a run with a 5:2 K:BB across five innings. He's recorded just one save.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Closes door in non-save situation
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Palencia worked around a hit in a scoreless frame in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Angels. He struck out one and walked none.
Palencia has now made two scoreless appearances so far this season but has yet to see any save opportunities. Those should come for the flamethrowing righty, who looked good as Chicago's closer last year and then continued to impress for Team Venezuela during its championship run through the World Baseball Classic last month. Palencia is the Cubs' unquestioned end-game option, with offseason additions Hunter Harvey and Phil Maton working ahead of him in setup roles.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Dominant during WBC
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Across five appearances for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Palencia did not allow a hit while logging five scoreless innings and striking out nine.
Palencia closed out Venezuela's win over the United States on Tuesday to win the WBC, and it continued a dominant stretch for the flamethrowing righty throughout the tournament. Following a breakout 2025 campaign in which he recorded a 2.91 ERA, 22 saves and 61 strikeouts across 52.2 innings for the Cubs during the regular season, Palencia has already been named the team's closer heading into 2026 and could be in line for even better production now that his role in the bullpen is secure.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Named closer by manager
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Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that Palencia will open the season as the team's closer, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
Palencia had a breakout 2025 campaign for the Cubs, putting up a 2.91 ERA and 61:16 K:BB over 52.2 regular-season innings while notching 22 saves. He missed time in September with a shoulder injury and, after returning, ceded the closer role to Brad Keller. However, after Keller signed with the Phillies this offseason, Palencia is set to return to the ninth inning. There's some risk that Palencia's control will regress in 2026, as he had a 7.4 percent walk rate in 2025 after walking batters at a 13.8 percent clip his first two seasons. However, the 26-year-old has electric stuff and showed last season he can handle the pressure of the ninth inning.
