The Chicago Cubs are slowly crawling out of their funk, winning two straight series and then crushing the Toronto Blue Jays 16-2 on Friday. However, the team placed its closer, Daniel Palencia, on the 15-day injured list earlier this week because of elbow inflammation, and now the right-handed pitcher has been shut down after further testing revealed a more serious issue.
Palencia pitched a scoreless inning against the Colorado Rockies on Monday, when the Cubs did show concern in the ninth, going out to the mound to have a talk with the pitcher. He had previously felt off in his previous appearance and was given four days off between games. On Tuesday, Palencia’s pitching elbow did not respond well, and he was quickly placed on the injured list.
Prior to Saturday’s game, the Cubs said an MRI revealed that Palencia is dealing with a mild flexor strain in his right arm. He will be shut down from throwing for about a week, Craig Counsell told the media, and while you want to stay optimistic, a flexor strain for pitchers can set them back for months.
Hopefully, it stays as a minor issue, and Palencia can return just before the All-Star break or immediately after. That would put him out for about four weeks.
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It’s been an odd year for Palencia, who came in riding high following his breakout performance in the World Baseball Classic, helping Venezuela win the title. The right-hander had a great 2025 season with the Cubs, recording 22 saves out of 25 opportunities, and was primed to be one of the top closers in 2026. Yet, an oblique issue sidelined Palencia for a couple of weeks in April, and a combination of blowout wins and an extended stretch of losing by the Cubs resulted in Palencia only getting three total save chances before he landed on the injured list earlier this week.
Looking back at those three saves, Palencia’s lucky to have that many. One of them came when Gavin Hollowell couldn’t get three outs in the ninth inning of an 8-2 game against the Cincinnati Reds back on May 7.
Fingers crossed that Palencia can recover and remain healthy once he returns from this arm injury. A good 2026 Cubs team needs Palencia in the bullpen.
