At this point Cubs fans aren’t even shocked anymore. They’re just tired. Deeply, bone crushingly tired of refreshing their phones and seeing another injury notification pop up before they’ve even finished their morning coffee.
Daniel Palencia. Fifteen day IL. Right elbow inflammation. Of course.
How It Happened
The cruel part is that Palencia looked absolutely fine on Monday night. Came in for the ninth inning of a 5-4 win over the Rockies, struck out three batters, stranded a runner and walked off the mound like a man who had just done his job perfectly. Counsell did make a trip to the mound mid inning to check on him — whatever Palencia said was convincing enough to let him finish — and the Cubs got the win.
Then Tuesday came. And before the first pitch was even thrown at Wrigley, Palencia was on the injured list.
Right elbow inflammation. The kind of thing that develops quietly, hides behind adrenaline during a game and then announces itself loudly the morning after. Second IL stint of 2026 for Palencia — he missed three weeks in April with an oblique strain — and the third of his last two seasons after a shoulder issue in September 2025.
The Timing Is Particularly Brutal
Because this isn’t just any reliever going down. This is the closer. The guy who came into 2026 riding the highest of highs after winning the World Baseball Classic with Venezuela, fresh off claiming the closer role with the Cubs and looking like one of the most exciting young arms in the bullpen.
And yet somehow — through June 15 — Palencia has only had three save opportunities all season. Nineteen total appearances. The Cubs just haven’t been in enough close games to fully utilise him and now before they even get the chance he’s back on the shelf.
For what it’s worth his numbers have been genuinely good when he has pitched — a 2.70 ERA with 19 strikeouts across 16.2 innings. The talent is undeniable. The body just keeps betraying him at the worst possible moments.
So Who Closes Now
Here’s the plot twist nobody saw coming. The answer is Jacob Webb — a man who was quite literally public enemy number one among Cubs fans back in April. Booed, questioned, written off. And yet here we are in mid June and Webb has quietly become the best reliever on the entire roster.
A 2.93 ERA. 36 strikeouts in 30.2 innings. Since May 1 he’s allowed just four earned runs across 20 innings — a 1.80 ERA in that stretch that is frankly outstanding for a guy most fans were ready to designate for assignment two months ago.
Baseball is funny like that sometimes.
The Replacement Stepping In
Gavin Hollowell has been called up from Triple-A Iowa to fill the roster spot. His recent numbers — a 4.82 ERA in nine games — look alarming at first glance but context matters. All five runs he allowed in that stretch came in a single disastrous outing. Strip that game out and the picture looks considerably healthier.
Whether Hollowell can contribute meaningfully at the big league level remains to be seen. But with the Cubs’ bullpen already stretched and the rotation in pieces, Counsell needs every available arm he can get right now.
The Bigger Picture
Steele. Horton. Boyd. Taillon. Cabrera’s hand cramp. And now Palencia. The 2026 Chicago Cubs injury list reads like a horror novel that keeps adding chapters when you think it’s finally over.
Jed Hoyer said it himself — some seasons you skate through injuries. This is very much not one of those seasons.
The Cubs are 34-34 and clinging onto a Wild Card spot with their fingernails. Every time they look like they’re finding some momentum another player goes down. At some point the resilience has to crack.
Hasn’t happened yet though. And with Webb quietly turning into a shutdown closer when nobody was watching, maybe — just maybe — there’s still something worth believing in at Wrigley Field this summer. ⚾🔥
