Cubs catch a glimpse of vintage Daniel Palencia against Reds

Chicago Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia has had a rollercoaster season. Last year’s leader in saves dealt with oblique and elbow issues much of the first half and hadn’t looked at himself since returning. However, last night’s outing against the Cincinnati Reds showcased vintage Palencia with his velocity consistently remaining near triple digits.

Daniel Palencia looked like his old self in a multi-inning appearance as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs May 31, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Daniel Palencia (48) reacts after the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Holding onto a one run lead in the sixth inning, Craig Counsell turned to Daniel Palencia. He proceeded to wipe out Elly De La Cruz and Sal Steward on strikeouts and get Tyler Stephenson to ground out, all while throwing just 11 pitches. Palencia then returned for the seventh, where he again worked a 1-2-3 inning that included another strikeout.

Beyond the results and the hold, Palencia’s fastball velocity was perhaps the most encouraging part of his outing. He consistently hovered around triple digits, with five of his 13 fastballs reaching at least 100.0 mph. Overall, he averaged 99.5 mph on the pitch.

This actually was the second consecutive longer outing in which Palencia’s fastball velocity has trended upward. In his previous longer appearance last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he touched 100 mph once while averaging 99.8 mph across 10 fastballs.

After months of disappointment and questions, Palencia appears to be trending in the right direction at an important time for the Cubs. His velocity is climbing, his command was sharp against the Reds, and he is beginning to look more like the high-powered arm Chicago has relied on in the past.

With just a week left in the regular season, a few more outings like this would be encouraging to see before the Cubs seriously consider turning back to Palencia in higher-leverage situations, or potentially even giving him another opportunity to reclaim the closer role. If his velocity and command continue trending in this direction, he could put himself back in the mix at exactly the right time.

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