Well, this is a bummer. We haven’t really heard much about right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey, who has not pitched in a month. The Chicago Cubs gambled on the 31-year-old, guaranteeing Harvey $6 million despite pitching in a total of 12 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2025. Now, Harvey’s return from the injured list has been further delayed.
Harvey was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 12 with right triceps inflammation. Prior to Friday’s series opener against the Texas Rangers, the Cubs revealed that Harvey will now be shut down for another month after suffering a stress reaction in his triceps during his rehab.
The Cubs didn’t spend a ton of money on free agent relievers, but the front office was active, spreading out resources to five free agent arms to replenish the bullpen. Phil Maton signed a two-year, $14 million deal, while Harvey’s $6 million salary was the second-highest among the relievers to begin the season.
Harvey has a history of injuries, so it’s not like this came out of nowhere. Unfortunately, the Cubs gambled on him, and so far the risk hasn’t been worth it.
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Fans should expect the Cubs to be active in the trade market and on the waiver wire to acquire more pitchers. The team did make one minor move this week, trading for Tyler Ferguson.
(Previous Update)
The Chicago Cubs bullpen situation has gone from bad to worse as the team placed their other top free-agent reliever on the injured list prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. A few days after Phil Maton was sidelined because of knee tendinitis, the Cubs have shelved hard-throwing righty Hunter Harvey, who is reportedly dealing with a triceps injury.
The Cubs signed the 31-year-old pitcher to a one-year, $6 million contract this past offseason that also included an $8 million mutual option for the 2027 season. On paper, it’s not a big guarantee, but Harvey only pitched in 12 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2025, when he looked great on the mound, posting a 0.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts and just 1 walk in 10.2 innings. Right now, the Cubs are calling it right triceps inflammation.
So far in 2026, Harvey has appeared in four games and has allowed three earned runs in four innings. All those runs came in one game against the Cleveland Guardians, as Harvey surrendered a pair of home runs in that relief outing.
This isn’t the first time Harvey has dealt with injuries. The former first-round pick and top-100 prospect missed time due to a forearm strain back in 2022, and just last year, Harvey missed most of the season after suffering a grade 1 teres major muscle strain. The right-hander previously underwent Tommy John surgery when he was coming up through the minors in 2016, and he’s also been placed on the injured list with an oblique, lat and an adductor strain throughout his career.
He’s got good stuff, and when healthy, Harvey has put up great numbers. In 186 career MLB appearances, he has recorded a 3.19 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 205 strikeouts in 189 innings of work. That’s why the Cubs gambled on him heading into 2026, signing Harvey to the second-highest salary of any reliever in the bullpen behind Maton.
