Cubs expecting 'a significant group coming back' from the IL after All-Star break

Right-handed reliever Julian Merryweather took the Wrigley Field mound Tuesday before the Cubs’ series opener against the Phillies. A group of four hitters, plus pitching and hitting coaches, looked on from behind a net as he got ready to throw live batting practice.

“I’ve been progressing really well,” Merryweather said. “And getting that first live out of the way was a good first step to keep progressing, and we’re staying right on schedule.”

Merryweather has been sidelined since early April with a rib stress fracture. He went through a throwing program at the Cubs’ Arizona spring-training complex and joined the team for the final steps before he’s scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment next week.

The Cubs could get a series of pitchers back from the injured list in quick succession. Merryweather, left-hander Jordan Wicks (strained right oblique) and right-hander Ben Brown (neck) are on track to return after the All-Star break, in the “second half of July,” as manager Craig Counsell put it. Reliever Mark Leiter Jr. (strained right forearm) could even be a little ahead of them.

With the July 30 trade deadline looming, the Cubs can’t afford to wait until after the All-Star break to make the case that they could be a playoff contender. But if they can begin to claw their way out of the hole they dug the last two months, a possible reinforcement-driven pre-deadline boost could be on the horizon.

“It’s a meaningful group that we were counting on for major innings,” Counsell said. “We’ve got to get to that point, and we’ve got to do something to that point, and we’ve got to stay healthy to that point, but that’s a significant group coming back in a fairly short period of time. That’s meaningful.”

Merryweather and Leiter are high-leverage relievers. Wicks and Brown have started and pitched out of the bullpen this season.

Merryweather’s next live BP session is set for Saturday, Counsell said. That timeline would allow for at least three rehab games before the end of the All-Star break.

“Then we’ll see where we’re at,” Counsell said.

60-day IL updates

• Right-hander Caleb Kilian (strained right shoulder), who has been on the 60-day IL since the start of the season, was set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with High-A South Bend.
• Reliever Adbert Alzolay (strained right flexor) is eligible to be activated July 12, but he likely won’t return until “the back half of July at the soonest,” Counsell said.
• Reliever Yency Almonte (strained right shoulder) was scheduled for a second opinion Tuesday. The Cubs should know more about his timeline by Wednesday.

Futures game

The 2024 All-Star Futures Game could feature three Cubs prospects. MLB announced the selections Tuesday.

Cubs infielder Matt Shaw and outfielder Owen Caissie were named to the active National League roster. Catcher Moises Ballesteros was one of eight players selected to compete in the new Futures Skills Showcase, a hitting competition with three rounds. Ballesteros is also an alternate for the Futures Game.

The Futures Game and Skills Showcase are scheduled for July 13 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, as part of the All-Star Saturday slate of events.