Cubs Make a Move But Not The One Fans Expected?
After exiting in the second inning of Friday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks has been placed on the 15-day injured list with an oblique strain. The 24-year-old pitcher began the year pitching in the team’s third game of the regular season and early on was showing an increase in velocity, a solid change up and a higher strikeout rate.
Wicks has a 4.18 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 28 innings in seven games.
Unfortunately, Wicks will now be sidelined for a second time, the first being back in April, when he hit the injured list with a left forearm strain. The Kansas State pitcher had recently returned from that stint on the IL last week and had made one relief appearance against the Cincinnati Reds prior to his start on Friday.
Wicks was slotted back into the starting rotation this week after another young Cubs pitcher in Ben Brown was placed on the injured list with a neck strain.
Meanwhile, right-hander Keegan Thompson is back with the Cubs after he was on the injured list with a viral illness in the middle of May. He was activated off the IL on June 7, and was then optioned to Triple-A. Combined with his rehab number dating back to May 26, Thompson has allowed 4 earned runs in 8.1 innings, although three of those came in one appearance when the righty did not record an out on June 5.
Thompson started the 2024 season with the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A and was then called up to the big leagues on April 12, when he made his season debut in the majors. Thompson quickly won fans back as he finished the month of April with 9.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. In those five relief outings Thompson had 12 strikeouts to only 3 walks and only gave up three hits. However, things took a turn for the worse once the calendar flipped to May, as hitters began to crush the Cubs righty.
In his 4 appearances prior to going on the injured list on May 15, Thompson was tagged with 10 runs, 7 of which were earned, on 8 hits that included a pair of home runs and that was only in 3 innings of work.
Hopefully Thompson returns to his April form now that he’s back in the Cubs bullpen.
On Friday, many Cubs fans began to speculate on the upcoming roster move after manager Craig Counsell said Wicks was likely headed to the injured list. Thompson wasn’t really top of mind, rather Ethan Roberts or Carl Edwards Jr. were seen as the potential call ups from Triple-A.
Roberts is coming back Tommy John surgery and was re-signed to a minor league deal this past off season. The righty has been awesome with the Iowa Cubs in 2024, tossing 11.1 scoreless innings through 12 appearances.
As for Edwards Jr. the veteran right-hander has also been stellar at Triple-A this season, posting a 1.85 ERA in 24.1 innings.
Injury Updates
One of the reasons that the Cubs bullpen has been so shaky throughout the 2024 season thus far is that a few of the relievers that could be counted on have been injured. Julian Merryweather was coming off a great 2023 season and probably would have been Craig Counsell’s number one choice to take over the closer role after Adbert Alzolay’s struggles. However, Merryweather has been out of action since early April, but it does appear as though the right-hander is nearing a rehab assignment.
Merryweather was placed on the injured list on April 7 and then moved to the 60-day injured list on April 17 because of a right shoulder strain. There haven’t been too many updates about him, but on Saturday Marquee Sports Network’s Taylor McGregor reported that Merryweather threw 32 pitches during a bullpen session on Friday.
The righty had a 3.38 ERA in 72 innings out of the bullpen in 2023, when he developed into a strong set-up man. Merryweather had a 1.93 ERA in 4.2 innings before going down with the shoulder strain back in April.
Another righty is also back in Chicago to figure out what’s next in his rehab process as Yency Almonte threw a live BP.
Almonte made 17 appearances out of the bullpen before he went on the injured list on May 11, because of a shoulder strain as well. The righty had a 3.45 ERA in 15.2 innings, but Almonte was on a roll following his first handful of games with the Cubs.
From April 6-May 7, Almonte posted a 1.32 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 13.2 innings. In those 13 relief outings, Almonte did not give up a home run and only walked five batters, recording five holds and a save.
Getting the good versions of Merryweather and Almonte back in the bullpen would do wonders for Counsell’s mental health.