The Chicago Cubs sit atop the Major League Baseball standings with a sparkling 27-12 record, powered largely by back-to-back 10-game winning streaks that have showcased their competitive edge this season.
Yet behind the strong win-loss mark lies a persistent challenge: a pitching staff that has been repeatedly sidelined by injuries, testing the team’s depth and resilience as they push through the early portion of the schedule.
One of the more worrying developments involves right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey, whose recovery has hit a significant roadblock. Manager Craig Counsell shared with reporters, including Gordon Edes of the Chicago Sun-Times, that recent imaging uncovered a stress reaction in Harvey’s right triceps.
As a result, the pitcher will be sidelined for at least another full month while the organization takes a cautious approach to his rehabilitation.
Chicago signed Harvey to a $6.5 million contract during the offseason, viewing him as a high-upside addition who could bolster the bullpen at a reasonable price. When available, his performance speaks for itself: a 3.19 earned run average, a 26.7 percent strikeout rate, and a modest 6.8 percent walk rate across 189 career innings pitched. The front office believed they had secured a valuable late-inning option without breaking the bank.
Unfortunately, Harvey’s time with the Cubs has been limited so far. He appeared in just four games before landing on the 15-day injured list on April 8 due to triceps inflammation, during which he surrendered three earned runs over four innings of work. The latest complication emerged after a bullpen session on May 8, when familiar discomfort returned, prompting further evaluation.
Jordan Bastian of MLB.com noted that the subsequent MRI confirmed the stress reaction, forcing the team to halt progress and restart the recovery process. This represents another frustrating step backward for both the player and the organization after what appeared to be initial improvement.
“The same area where the muscle soreness was,” Counsell told Bastian. “We’re going to have to stop and reset.”
Harvey’s injury history has followed him throughout his professional career, with only one season featuring more than 50 appearances—back in 2023 while with the Washington Nationals. When healthy, though, he offers an intriguing profile as a high-leverage arm, featuring upper-90s fastball velocity paired with a highly effective splitter that can miss bats consistently.
Given the extended timeline, the Cubs may soon consider moving Harvey to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. He has already spent 31 days on the shelf, with more time guaranteed ahead. Counsell indicated that Harvey’s rehab activities will shift to the team’s spring training facility in Arizona for the foreseeable future.
Beyond Harvey, the Cubs’ pitching corps has been hit particularly hard, with nine pitchers currently on the injured list—four starters and five relievers. Several of those absences stem from various stages of recovery following elbow procedures, creating a strain on roster construction and daily game planning.
The bullpen specifically has absorbed heavy blows. Right-hander Porter Hodge underwent Tommy John surgery on April 20 and faces a lengthy absence, with an expected return well into the 2027 campaign. Meanwhile, left-handers Riley Martin and Caleb Thielbar have been managing elbow and hamstring issues, respectively, further thinning the relief options available to Counsell.
On a brighter note, Thielbar has shown encouraging signs of progress. His recent bullpen session went smoothly, setting the stage for a light mound workout scheduled for Sunday, May 10, in Texas. A minor-league rehab assignment could follow as soon as the subsequent weekend, though the team will evaluate whether multiple outings are necessary before activating him.
Even amid these absences, the Cubs’ bullpen has held up respectably, ranking 11th in the majors with a 3.83 ERA and sitting 10th in win probability added at +1.00. As the season advances, the club may look toward the trade deadline for additional reinforcements to stabilize the pitching group.
For the time being, they must continue weathering the injury wave over the coming weeks, with optimism that key pieces like Thielbar and Harvey will eventually rejoin the fold and strengthen their contention hopes.
