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: Scoreless inning Tuesday
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Palencia allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday against the Reds.
With the game tied 2-2 in the top of the ninth, Palencia came on for his first appearance since returning from a lat strain that sidelined him for three weeks. He topped out at 101 mph with his fastball Tuesday. Palencia has yet to allow a run this season and owns a 5:2 K:BB across six innings, notching one save.
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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.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Holds on for save No. 22
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Palencia allowed two hits and no walks in scoreless ninth inning for the save Tuesday against Atlanta, striking out one.
Palencia has now yielded multiple hits in three of his last four outings, but he was able to hang on for his 22nd save of the season Tuesday. The right-hander has certainly been shaky of late, logging a 4.76 ERA and 1.85 WHIP over his last 11.1 innings since the start of August, though he remains Chicago's clear-cut closer. For the year, Palencia owns a 2.16 ERA and 1.10 WHIP while successfully converting all but two of his save opportunities across 50 innings.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Clean inning for save
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Palencia struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Rockies.
Palencia retired the side of 13 pitches (eight strikes) to come away with his 21st save of the year. He's had some ups and downs in August, allowing five runs over 10.1 innings, but he's gone 7-for-8 in save chances. However, he's also posted a 1-2 record for the month. On the year, Palencia has a 2.02 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 56:15 K:BB through 49 innings while serving mostly as the Cubs' primary closer.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Secures 17th save
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Palencia recorded his 17th save of the season in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Brewers, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless ninth inning.
The right-hander hit triple digits on the radar gun with nine of his 17 pitches (11 strikes), but it was a 90.5 mph slider that got William Contreras to ground into a game-ending double play. Palencia has had a bumpy beginning to August, allowing runs in three of his six appearances while blowing one of four save chances, but his job as the Cubs' closer is in no jeopardy. On the season, Palencia sports a 1.81 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 47:12 K:BB through 44.2 innings.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Takes loss Friday
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Palencia (1-3) allowed a run in an inning of relief to take the loss Friday against the Pirates.
Palencia was tasked with preserving a 2-2 tie in the top of the ninth inning, but he allowed a solo home run to Jack Suwinski that ultimately gave Pittsburgh the win. It was the young reliever's first loss since June 9 and just the third home run he's allowed all season. Palencia has been excellent with a 1.85 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 across 43.2 innings, and he should remain locked in as Chicago's closer despite the slight hiccup.
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Cubs' Daniel Palencia: Locks down save Sunday
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Palencia tossed 1.1 scoreless innings of relief with a strikeout to earn the save in Sunday's 5-4 win over the White Sox.
Palencia got the last out of the bottom of the eighth inning, ending a three-run White Sox rally, and then breezed through the ninth for his 14th save of the year in 15 chances. The righty has been particularly good lately, as he's now rattled off 10 straight appearances without allowing any earned runs. That's allowed Palencia to lower his ERA to a sparkling 1.43, and he's cemented his status as the Cubs' closer, with the likes of Ryan Pressly, Caleb Thielbar, Drew Pomeranz and Ryan Brasier working in setup roles.
