Cubs pitchers admission for poor performance does not leave optimism for future turnaround

When the Chicago Cubs signed Phil Maton to a two-year, $14.5 million contract last offseason, the expectation was that they were adding a proven veteran reliever capable of anchoring the back end of their bullpen. Instead, his first season on the North Side has been filled with struggles, and a recent admission from Maton suggests a turnaround may not be coming.

Chicago Cubs reliever Phil Maton admits to changing his mechanics during the off-season due to tendinitis

According to Brendan Miller of CHCO Cubs Podcast, Maton altered his throwing mechanics last off-season in order to make his knee feel better. In this process, he lost the feel on his pitches and has not been executing the way he needs to. Furthermore, his velocity has been down at times this year, all of which has contributed to his unexpected 6.08 ERA this year.

Phil Maton has described chronic tendonitis as a reason for his poor production. He said changed mechanics in the offseason to make his knee feel better, and that cost him feel. That’s an uninspiring explanation. Age, injuries, inability to repeat mechanics without pain.

— Brendan Miller (@brendan_cubs) July 19, 2026

For more context, Maton has had two separate stints on the injured list this year with right knee tendinitis. The first came in mid-April and the other one more recently towards the end of June. The organization’s plan was to get him feeling right so that he could pitch in big moments later in the year, but in surrendering a run against the Twins during his first outing post All-Star break, he has now had three consecutive outings with one run allowed.

The concerning part for the Cubs is that this is not a situation where they can simply move on and look for another option. Chicago invested multiple years in Maton, meaning the organization is committed to him through the 2027 season. Unfortunately, Maton’s own acknowledgment of why he has been struggling does little to inspire confidence that an immediate fix is coming.

Ultimately, Chicago’s only path forward is hoping Maton can rediscover his feel, and start locating/executing pitches again. If he cannot return closer to his previous form, he will slide into the lowest leverage role in the bullpen and become a forgotten piece.

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