As we all saw this week in Detroit, the Chicago Cubs bullpen is running on fumes and reinforcements are desperately needed. The Cubs are hoping for a huge bounce back from right-handed pitcher Keegan Thompson, who will be available out of the bullpen Thursday night, when the team begins a four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Chicago Tribune reporter Meghan Montemurro first reported that the Cubs are calling up Thompson from Triple-A.
Thompson, 28, entered the 2023 season as one of the few pitchers David Ross had trust in from the start, but the righty’s struggled were too much to ignore and he was demoted to Triple-A on May 19. He pitched in 15 games and in 21.1 innings, Thompson walked 14 batters, while striking out 16.
The right-hander had a 0.68 ERA through his first eight appearances this year, but then he gave up nine earned runs in his next eight innings. His last game with the Cubs came on May 17, when he came in to close out a 6-3 lead against the Houston Astros. Thompson surrendered a single, a two-run homer and a walk in the ninth inning before he was pulled. The Cubs ended up losing 7-6.
Things did not get any better for Thompson once he joined the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A. From May 24-Aug. 6, Thompson walked 20 batters in 16.2 innings, leading to a 12.96 ERA in 12 outings.
The right-hander also spent time on the injured list this summer, missing five weeks from June 20-July 26.
Thompson made his MLB debut with the Cubs in 2021, and although he’s spent some time in the starting rotation, he carved out a nice role as a multi-inning reliever. In 2022, Thompson held opposing hitters to a .480 OPS as a reliever, ending the season with a 1.47 ERA in 36.2 innings out of the bullpen.
During his big-league career, Thompson has made 53 relief appearances and has posted a 2.46 ERA in 95 innings. The Cubs were counting on Thompson to be a key contributor in the bullpen this season and he’s going to get another chance to prove that he has fixed his problems on the mound.
Thompson’s last four games give you some hope, as he’s struck out eight and more importantly has only allowed one walk in 8.1 innings.
Michael Rucker, who was called up from Triple-A on Aug. 15, only pitched once since then and is now headed back to the Iowa Cubs.
