Chicago Cubs president offers no solace amid full-on pitching collapse

The Chicago Cubs might be, finally, at the end of their pitching rope.

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Tuesday was a disastrous day for the team, not just because they lost 5-2 to the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field. Before the game, it was announced that closer Daniel Palencia would be going on the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation. Then, starter Edward Cabrera left the game in the fifth inning, suffering from something the Cubs called a “hand cramp.”

Palencia and Cabrera represent two more subtractions from a pitching staff already decimated by injury.

The Cubs’ pitching disaster

Chicago Cubs, Cubs News, Cade Horton — Sep 9, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton (22) walks to the dugout after pitching against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

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All told, the Cubs have lost the following pitchers for either the remainder of the season or for an extended period of time during the season: Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton, Caleb Thielbar, Riley Martin, Ethan Roberts, Palencia, and Cabrera. They’ve also lost out on the return of ace Justin Steele, who suffered a setback in his recovery from last year’s elbow surgery and now may not pitch at full capacity until next season.

In the offseason, Chicago had the foresight to stockpile pitchers on minor league deals for emergency depth—and they’ve already eaten through that reserve. Pickups Ryan Rolison and Trent Thornton are currently on the 26-man roster, but the team has also used Corbin Martin, Charlie Barnes, Vince Velasquez, and Yacksel Rios, among others, to fill emergency pitching spots so far this season.

The worse part of this mess is that there’s no cavalry riding in to save the day. With the reserves depleted and a limited Triple-A, the team will have to go with what they have and hope for the best.

Matthew Boyd coming back after one more rehab outing in the minors is a positive, but that’s a small ray of sunshine inside of a dark, dark storm cloud. Plus, there’s no guarantee that the oft-injured lefty will be good to go as hoped.

Hoyer speaks

Jed Hoyer, Chicago Cubs — Jan 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer talks to the media after introducing pitcher Shota Imanaga (not pictured) during a press conference at Loews Chicago Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer doesn’t offer much hope when it comes to bringing anyone meaningful into the mix until the August 3 trade deadline—and, even then, he’s not exuding confidence that the team can bring in anyone big.

“We went into the season feeling like we had real numbers,” Hoyer told media. “Injuries are part of the game. They’re part of the challenge. Some seasons, you maybe skate through a little bit. And some seasons, you don’t. We haven’t. But we have to fight through it and find different ways and be creative.”

“The rotation’s kind of doing what it can,” he added. “Yes, external rotation additions are a possibility. Not as much now as they are later. But yeah, that part of our team struggling is something I think, honestly, it’s kind of logical given what we’re missing. I think some guys have stepped up, but we’re going to need more of that.”

In the meantime, as the pitching misfortune piles up, the Cubs’ chances of making a deep playoff run get more and more remote.

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