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
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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: Secures first save Sunday
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Palencia tossed a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout to earn the save in a 1-0 win over the Guardians in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader.
Palencia has been sharp so far this year with three scoreless appearances, though Sunday marked his first save opportunity and conversion. The hard-throwing righty led the Cubs with 22 regular-season saves in 2025, and that was after not beginning the year as the team's closer. Palencia was the Opening Day closer this year, and the save chances should start to stack up as the season progresses, giving him a fairly high ceiling as a fantasy option.
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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.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Resumes mound work
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Palencia (shoulder) joined the Cubs for their road trip in Pittsburgh and threw off a mound Monday for the first time since landing on the injured list Sept. 8, the Associated Press reports.
Prior to being deactivated after he was diagnosed with a left shoulder strain, Palencia had emerged as the Cubs' closer and converted 22 of 25 save chances while logging a 3.00 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 51 innings on the season. The right-hander is without a definitive timeline for a return from the IL, but the fact that he's resumed mound work leaves the door open for him to be activated before the regular season comes to an end Sept. 28. In addition to completing another side session or two, Palencia will likely need to face hitters in live batting practice or in a brief minor-league rehab assignment before the Cubs add him back to their bullpen.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Plays catch Friday
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Palencia (shoulder) played catch Friday, Andy Martinez of Marquee Sports Network reports.
It's the first time he's thrown since he suffered a right shoulder strain Sunday and landed on the 15-day injured list Monday. It's a good sign that he's already playing catch, and the Cubs will map out a rehab plan for Palencia based on how he comes out of Friday's throwing session. Palencia will be eligible to return Sept. 23, but it's too soon to know whether he has a chance to be back by that date. Andrew Kittredge has the lone save for the Cubs since Palencia went down, and Brad Keller is also expected to be in the mix to close games.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Sent to IL with shoulder strain
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The Cubs placed Palencia on the 15-day injured list Monday due to a right shoulder strain, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
The Chicago closer will hit the shelf after he experienced tightness in his shoulder during his relief appearance against the Nationals on Sunday, when he was dealt the loss and his third blown save of the season after failing to retire any of the five batters he faced while giving up four hits -- including two home runs -- and one walk. The Cubs haven't yet offered up a timeline for Palencia's return, but as a pitcher who's heavily reliant on high velocity and now coming back from an arm injury, he seems likely to be sidelined beyond the minimum 15 days. Manager Craig Counsell hasn't provided word on his plans for the ninth inning while Palencia is on the shelf, but Brad Keller, Andrew Kittredge and Caleb Thielbar have been pitching effectively in high-leverage spots of late and could be the Chicago relievers most likely to factor into the mix for saves over the next few weeks.
